• 

.r** 


WAIFS  FROM  THE  WAY-BILLS 


OLD    EXPRESSMAN. 


Br  T.  W.  TUCKER. 


•One  Post  shall  run  to  meet  another. 
And  one  Messenger  to  meet  another." 

JEREMIAH  11.  SI. 


BOSTON    1891 
LEE     AND     SHEPARD     PUBLISHERS 

10  MILK  STR8BT  NEXT  "  THE  OLD  SOUTH  MEETING  HOUSB  " 

NEW  YORK  CHAS.  T.  DILUNGIIAM 

7<8     AND     720     UKJAUAAV 


Entered,  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  In  the  year  1872, 

BY  LEE  AND  SHEPAKD, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


TO 

ALVIN    ADAMS,  ESQ., 

WHO,   FKOM   HUMBLE   BEGINNINGS,  BY   PEKSEVEBING    TOIL, 

AND  WELL-DIRECTED  ENTEKPRISE,  EARNED  FAME 

AND  WEALTH  IN  THIS  VOCATION, 

this    little    xlooh   is   gcbitattb 

BY  AN  OLD  EXPRESSMAN. 


PREFACE. 


THE  vast  business  now  transacted  through  the 
medium  of  Expresses,  affecting,  as  it  does,  nearly 
every  branch  of  trade  .and  every  avenue  of  indus- 
try, is  one  of  the  necessities  of  commercial  pursuits, 
and  a  department  of  useful  activity  called  into 
being  by  the  vigorous  demands  of  a  go-ahead  age. 
Our  fathers  were  satisfied,  or  rather  pacified,  with 
the  facilities  afforded  by  the  fast  stage  teams  of 
"  ye  ancient "  days,  for  the  transmission  of  moneys 
and  valuable  packages,  not  dreaming,  in  their  anti- 
quated simplicity,  of  lightning  despatches  and  rail- 
road express  trains. 

The  great  changes  brought  about  by  the  far- 
seeing  enterprise  of  a  few  individuals,  who  lived 
and  acted  so  much  in  advance  of  their  fellows, 
demand  something  more  than  a  traditionary  record 

5 


6  PREFACE. 

of  the   men  who  have   brought  about   such  stirring 
results. 

The  author  of  this  brief  review  having  passed 
the  most  valuable  years  of  his  life  in  the  routine 
of  express  business,  —  commencing  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  express  enterprise,  —  and  having  had, 
from  the  nature  of  his  position,  unusual  facilities 
for  obtaining  correct  and  reliable  information  re- 
garding the  history  and  efforts  of  the  individuals 
mentioned  in  this  brief  record  of  expressmen,  con- 
fidently commends  his  jottings  to  the  attention  of 
all  who  feel  interested  in  tracing  to  its  sources 
a  business  of  such  present  magnitude  and  im- 
portance. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

PAOK 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  TITLE  "EXPRESSMAN." 11 

THE  ANCIENT  STAGE  DRIVER 11 

OLD  STAGERS. ....13 

TIIE  OLD  STAGE  HOUSES 14 

SOME  OF  THE  OLD  DRIVERS 16 

STAGING  AND  EXPRESSING  IN  "Y1  OLDEN"  TIKES.    .        .  17 

LIST  OF  DRIVERS,  SADDLERS,  &c.,  OP  "Y*  OLDEN"  TIKES.  28 


CHAPTER  II. 

MAGNITUDE  OF  THE  EXPRESS  BUSINESS 80 

SCENES  IN  AN  EXPRESS  OFFICE 82 

THE  FIRST  EXPRESSKAN .  33 

W.  F.  HARNDEN 34 

THE  BURNING  OF  THE  LEXINGTON.                .        .        •        .  36 

EARLY  EMPLOYEES. 51 

HARNDEN'S  FOREIGN  EXPRESS.    ......  52 

THE  PECUNIARY  RESULTS -54 

CHANGE  OF  PROPRIETORSHIP .54 

THE  PRESENT  HARNDEN  EXPRESS. 55 

7 


8  CONTENTS. 

THE  ADAMS  EXPRESS  COMPANY.         "*....  55 

UP-HILL  WORK ,    .  56 

A  FEARFUL  STEAMBOAT  DISASTER 60 

OTHER  EARLY  EMPLOYEES  OF  ADAMS  &  COMPANY.        .        .  64 

THE  TIDE  OP  FORTUNE  TURNS 66 


CHAPTEB    III. 

BUSINESS  DURING  THE  WAR 68 

THE  ADAMS  EXPRESS  COMPANY. 70 

THE  AMERICAN  EXPRESS  COMPANV 71 

EXTRAORDINARY  ROBBERIES.        .        .        .  '     .        .        .  72 

SOME  OP  THE  OLD  EXPRESSES 74 

"KISSING  GOES  BY  FAVOR." 76 

THE  EASTERN  EXPRESS  COMPANY. 77 

CHENEY  &  COMPANY 80 

THE  .LATE  FIRM  OF  FISKE  &  COMPANY.  .        .        .        .81 


CHAPTER   IV. 

VARIOUS  EXPRESSES 82 

THE  FIRST  EXPRESSMAN. 82 

HUMORS  OF  EXPRESSMEN 83 

ANOTHER  EXPRESS  AND  RAILROAD  VETERAN.         ...  85 

THE  IRISHMAN  AND  BULL  DOG 85 

AN  ECCENTRIC  EXPRESSMAN 86 

THE  MAN  THAT  WAS  SLEWED 87 

ONE  OF  UNCLE  SAM'S  BLUNDERS .88 

CURIOUS  FOOD  FOR  AN  INVALID. 90 

ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BOAR 91 

THE  BOY  IN  THE  Box. 92 


CONTENTS.  9 

A  TRAGICAL  AFFAIR.  —  VITALITY  OF  AN  EXPRESSMAN.           .  96 

THE  "OLD  Hoss"  DEPARTMENT 101 

"  OLD  Hoss "  AUCTION  SALE. 103 

RATHER  MIXED.     .        . 105 

RoBUKRY  PREVENTED  BY  A  DOG 106 

HINTS  TO  PERSONS  DOING  BUSINESS  WITH  EXPRESSMEN.    .  108 

C.  O.  D.  .  109 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE  BAGGAGE  EXPRESS 114 

NEW  YORK  AND  BOSTON  EXPRESS. 115 

NEW  EXPRESSES  MADE  FROM  OLD  MATERIAL.     .        .        .  117 

EXPRESS  TEAMS 119 

A  RAILROAD  TUNNEL 120 

A  MOST  REMARKABLE  EXPRESS  ROBBERY 121 

SUCCESSFUL  EXPRESSMEN.     .        .        .  ,    .        .        .        .  124 

SOME  OF  THE  OLD  EXPRESSES.        ....        .        .        .  125 

ADAMS  EXPRESS  COMPANY. 127 

CHENEY  &  COMPANY.        .        .        .        •    *   .        .        .        .128 

THE  AMERICAN  EXPRESS  COMPANY 129 

II  A  UN  i  >  IN  AND  COMPANY.       ' 129 

THE  EASTERN  EXPRESS  COMPANY 130 

AT  OTHER  EXPRESS  OFFICES.           ...*..  130 

APPENDIX. 

LIST  OF  EXPRESSES,  WITH  THEIR  MANAGERS  AND  PROPRIE- 
TORS.                       .                                 ....  133 


WAIFS 

FROM   THE 

WAY-BILLS    OF   AN    OLD    EXPRESSMAN. 


CHAPTER   I. 

ORIGIN  OP  THE  TITLE   "  EXPRESSMAN." 

THE  title  Expressman,  now  applied  to  a  common 
carrier,  is  of  very  recent  origin,  dating  back  only  to 
the  year  1839,  when  the  late  W.  F.  Harnden  com- 
menced his  active  career.  The  business  of  express- 
ing is,  however,  "  old  as  the  hills,"  having  been  carried 
on  by  stage  drivers  from  time  immemorial. 

THE  ANCIENT  STAGE  DRIVER 

was  a  very  important  personage  in  "ye  olden  time," 
having,  in  addition  to  the  care  of  his  passengers,  the 
charge  of  divers  packages,  valuable  and  otherwise, 
which  were  intrusted  to  him  for  safe  delivery ;  bun- 
dles and  parcels  of  merchandise,  bottles  of  fluids,  of 
a  temporal  and  spiritual  character,  and  letters  of  a 
business  or  amatory  nature.  The  cabalistic  letters 
C.  0.  D.  did  not  then  ornament  boxes  and  bundles, 
but  bills  were  collected  on  delivery,  nevertheless. 

11 


12  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

"  Pay  or  no  take,"  was  as  well  understood  then  as 
now.  Many  drivers  on  routes  from  Boston  to  popu- 
lous places,  such  as  Providence,  Worcester,  Salem, 
&c.,  were  men  of  mark  in  their  calling,  and  daily 
transacted  large  amounts  of  business  of  an  important 
description,  such  as  carrying ,  bank  packages,  money 
parcels,  &c.,  and  paying  notes  and  bills.  The  vener- 
able and  genial  Sam  Woodward,  so  long  and  well 
known  as  the  driver  and  freight  manager  for  Adams 
Express  Company,  was  a  fine  sample  of  the  old  time 
stage  driver,  and  used  frequently  to  remark  to  the 
writer,  when  he  appeared  with  an  unusually  small 
freight  on  his  wagon,  "  I  used  to  carry  a  bigger  load 
when  I  drove  stage." 

The  stage  driver,  like  the  present  car  conductor, 
was  always  a  favorite  of  the  ladies,  and  all  the  pretty 
girls  were  enraptured  by  a  roguish  wink  of  his  merry 
eye,  or  made  supremely  happy  by  a  recognizing  nod. 
Holmes  has  graphically  delineated  the  "  Autocrat  of 
the  Breakfast  Table"  —  how  felicitously  could  he  de- 
scribe the  Autocrat  of  the  Tavern  Stable !  The  old 
Sudbury  Tavern  has  been  immortalized  by  Longfellow, 
but  no  reference  was  made  by  him  to  its  most  impor- 
tant appendage,  the  bustling  and  important  stage 
driver.  The  Autocrat  of  all  the  Russias  never  as- 
cended his  imperial  throne  with  half  the  airs  the  stage 
autocrat  assumed  when  mounting  his  throne  —  the 
stage  box.  Every  look,  every  gesture,  and  every 
oath  impressed  the  gaping  crowd  of  rustics  with  a 
profound  idea  of  his  prodigious  importance. 


OF   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  13 

The  village  "  squire "  and  tLe  prosperous  store- 
keeper, although  considered  the  leading  men  and  the 
great "  I  am's  "  of  the  places,  did  not  disdain  to  mingle 
with  the  miscellaneous  crowd  of  tavern  "bummers" 
upon  the  "  stoop,"  to  witness  the  arrival  or  departure 
of  the  stage.  These  obsequious  attentions  were 
always  vastly  pleasing  to  the  illustrious  knight  of  the 
whip,  as  with  great  pomp  and  flourish  he  gathered  up 
his  "  ribbons,"  and  cracked  his  long  whip  over  his 
impatient  team. 

OLD  STAGERS. 

Some  of  the  old  stagers  were  greatly  distinguished 
for  their  skill  in  handling  a  team  of  four  and  six 
horses,  and  it  was  an  awe-inspiring  sight,  especially 
to  the  juvenile  community,  to  see  the  smoking,  high- 
mettled  steeds  dash  up  to  the  tavern  door  at  full  speed, 
the  reins  so  skilfully  handled  that  the  wheels,  just 
grazing  the  door-stone,  would  stop  with  the  rapidity 
of  an  electric  shock  at  exactly  the  right  spot.  Some 
of  these  veterans  of  the  whip  were  remarkably  expert 
in  exercising  their  lash.  We  well  remember  the  feat 
of  a  driver,  noted  for  his  dexterity,  who  wagered  the 
"  drinks"  —  it  was  customary  in  those  days  to  imbibe 
—  with  a  gentleman  on  the  outside  seat,  that  he  would, 
on  passing  the  first  flock  of  fowls  within  reach  of  his 
lash,  decapitate  any  bird  the  gentleman  might  select, 
provided  the  gentleman  would  be  answerable  for  all 
damages ;  the  other  conditions  being,  that  the  driver 
should  not  relinquish  his  reins  or  seat,  nor  check  the 


14  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

speed  of  his  horses.  His  skill  was  soon  put  to  the 
test,  for,  on  passing  a  farm  house,  a  flock  of  hens,  con- 
voyed by  a  stately  rooster,  were  approached.  As  the 
coach  passed  at  full  speed,  the  driver  was  directed  to 
try  his  skill  on  the  rooster.  Quick  as  thought,  the 
unerring  lash  flashed  through  the  air,  and  encircling 
the  neck  of  the  hapless  chanticleer,  his  glittering 
head  flew  across  the  road,  leaving  his  fluttering  body 
with  the  astonished  hens  ! 

Many  of  the  noted  drivers  who  flourished  before 
the  advent  of  railroads  have  arrived  at  eminent  posi- 
tions on  various  roads.  Hon.  Chester  W.  Chapin,  of 
Springfield,  and  Hon.  Ginery  Twichell,  now  Presi- 
dent of  the  Boston  and  Albany  Railroad  corporation, 
were  noted  for  their  remarkable  skill  as  stage  drivers, 
and  their  driving  qualities  have  procured  for  them 
the  highest  positions  in  the  power  of  mammoth  cor- 
porations to  bestow.  In  the  celebrated  "  Harrison 
campaign"  of  1840,  Ginery  Twichell  particularly  dis- 
tinguished himself  by  his  wonderful  energy  and 
success  in  reporting  election  returns ;  in  collecting 
and  expressing  election  details  for  the  Boston  Atlas, 
then  under  the  management  of  the  celebrated  Rich- 
ard Haughton,  his  astonishing  feats  of  horsemanship 
were  marvels  of  speed  and  endurance. 

THE  OLD  STAGE  HOUSES. 

What  a  rendezvous  for  stages  was  the  short  but 
bustling  Elm  Street  in  those  days  !  The  old  No.  11, 
kept  by  the  Wildes,  was  the  "head  centre"  of  stage- 


OP   AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  15 

dom,  although  many  other  localities,  8uch  as  the 
Eastern  Stage  House,  kept  by  Rogers,  iu  Ann  Street; 
the  City  Tavern,  kept  by  Doolittle,  in  Brattle  Street; 
the  Earle  Coffee  House,  kept  by  Hezekiah  Earle,  on 
Hanover  Street;  the  Marlboro'  Hotel,  kept  by  Bar- 
ker, in  Washington  Street;  Washington  Coffee 
House,  near  the  Old  South;  and  last,  but  not  least, 
the  old  Lamb  Tavern,  kept  by  Adams,  on  the  site  of 
the  present  Adams  House.  There  were  also  two  or 
three  stage  taverns  of  lesser  note  on  Union  Street. 
The  stranger  was  not  "  taken  in  "  in  the  sharp  sense 
of  the  term  in  those  old  hostelries,  but  was  gener- 
ously warmed  and  fed  upon  terms  approaching  a 
reasonable  tariff.  The  hearty,  good-humored  landlord 
was  a  different  individual  from  the  well-dressed, 
haughty,  and  indifferent  Boniface  of  the  present  day, 
who  is  only  approached  by  his  patrons  as  a  king  is  by 
his  courtiers,  who,  enthroned  behind  his  marble  coun- 
ter, profoundly  impressed  with  a  sense  of  his  im- 
mense importance,  hardly  deigns  a  civil  reply  to 
respectful  questions,  and  without  consulting  your 
taste  or  convenience,  by  an  imperative  wave  of  his 
imperial  hand  consigns  you  to  your  seven  by  nine 
den  in  the  sixteenth  story  of  his  imposing  mansion, 
from  which  you  emerge  at  an  early  hour  the  ensuing 
morning,  after  an  exhaustive  night's  conflict  with 
other  claimants  to  your  couch,  to  exercise  your  molars 
on  a  tough  steak  or  "  ram  chop,"  for  which  inestima- 
ble privileges  you  are  expected  to  contribute  to  the 


16  WAIFS   FROM  THE  WAY-BILLS 

hotel  exchequer  your  stamps  at  the  reasonable  rate 
of  four  and  five  dollars  per  diem. 

SOME  OF  THE  OLD  DRIVERS. 

Many  of  our  middle-aged  citizens  will  remember 
the  portly  form  of  Jones,  of  the  Bridgewater  stage, 
from  the  Washington  Coffee  House.  He  was  once 
robbed  of  a  large  amount  of  bank  money,  which  was 
stolen  from  his  stage  box  ;  R.  B.  Kinsley,  driver  and 
proprietor  of  the  stage  route  to  Newport,  R.  I.,  after- 
wards an  eminent  expressman,  and  whose  recent 
death,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three,  has  been  exten- 
sively noted  ;  Simon  Gillett,  proprietor  and  driver  of 
the  Quincy  stage,  who  occasionally  indulged  his  love 
for  fun  by  asking  an  outside  passenger  to  hold  his  hat 
for  a  moment,  in  the  crown  of  which  would  lie  coiled 
up  a  huge  black  snake !  Many  of  the  old  drivers 
"  still  live,"  particularly  a  number  who  once  flourished 
on  the  Eastern  route.  Jackson  and  Akerman,  of  the 
Portsmouth  express ;  Eben  Page,  of  the  Gloucester 
express;  and  "Uncle"  Niles,  of  the  Dover  express, 
are  still  active,  and  daily  run  over  their  routes  in  the 
cars.  One  of  the  largest  express  proprietors  in  Bos- 
ton, Benjamin  P.  Cheney,  of  Court  Square,  was  a 
driver  of  "  ye  ancient "  time,  and  subsequently  a 
stage  agent  at  No.  11  Elm  Street.  He  is  one  of  the 
youngest  looking  men  in  Boston  for  his  age,  and  has 
accumulated  a  handsome  fortune  in  the  express 
business. 


OF   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  17 


STAGING  AND  EXPRESSING  IN  "  Y*  OLDEN  "  TIMES. 

In  another  paragraph  we  have  remarked  that  run- 
ning expresses  is  not  a  business  feature  of  modern 
date  —  the  name  only  is  of  recent  origin.  The  old 
stage  drivers  were  all  expressmen,  only  they  didn't 
know  it.  The  drivers  on  long  routes,  to  Providence, 
New  Haven,  New  York,  <fec.,  were  men  especially  se- 
lected, for  their  ability  and  reliability,  to  carry  and 
deliver  bank  packages,  remittances,  and  small  parcels 
of  value ;  also  to  collect  notes,  drafts,  and  bills,  pre- 
cisely as  do  the  express  messengers  of  the  present 
day.  We  are  indebted  to  a  Salem  gentleman,  William 
H.  Foster,  Esq.,  for  an  interesting  sketch  of  the  old 
drivers  of  that  once  famous  company,  the  Salem  and 
Boston  Stage  Company.  Mr.  Foster  was  the  clerk 
and  cashier  of  this  old  time  institution,  and  com- 
menced with  the  company  at  its  beginning,  in  1821. 
Time  has  dealt  lightly  with  Mr.  Foster,  who  is  yet  an 
active  business  man,  and  a  fine  specimen  of  the  old 
school  gentleman.  He  informs  us  that  the  splendid 
teams  of  that  famed  line,  in  connection  with  the  boats 
at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  at  which  place  the  stage  route 
terminated,  made  the  trip  through  to  New  York  in 
forty-eight  hours, —  not  bad  travelling,  that!  Four 
drivers  were  employed  on  a  trip;  the  first  driving 
about  forty  miles,  then  getting  off  the  box,  and  get- 
ting into  the  coach,  rode  the  rest  of  the  way  through 
as  passenger  and  expressman* 

Q 


18  WAIFS   FKOM  THE   WAY-BILLS 

These  drivers  were  fine  specimens  of  muscular 
manhood,  and  perfect  adepts  in  handling  the  reins 
and  whip.  In  the  matter  of  politeness,  they  were 
capable  of  giving  lessons  to  many  of  the  conductors 
of  the  present  day.  Although  proverbially  good- 
natured,  they  were  men  not  to  be  trifled  with  by  pre- 
suming individuals.  We  well  remember,  when  a  lad, 
of  witnessing  a  set-to  in  the  celebrated  play  of  lt  Tom 
and  Jerry ;  or-,  Lile  in  London,"  at  the  old  Tremont 
Theatre,  Boston,  between  Hudson,  a  celebrated  pro- 
fessional boxer,  and  Noah  Knox,  one  of  the  old  Salem 
drivers.  Knox,  who  was  a  man  of  immense  physical 
power,  was  induced  to  put  on  the  "  mittens "  for 
"  this  occasion  only  "  with  Hudson.  The  latter  was 
one  of  the  finest  men  physically  in  his  profession,  but 
he  had  a  very  handsome  face,  which  he  was  very 
much  afraid  of  disfiguring ;  consequently  he  was  a 
little  shy  of  rough  customers.  As  Knox  was  sup- 
posed to  be  perfectly  green  in  scientific  boxing,  Hud- 
son thought  him,  notwithstanding  his  apparent  great 
strength,  an  easy  customer.  But  he  was  doomed  to 
disappointment  on  this  occasion,  for  Knox  not  only 
beat  down  his  guard,  but  floored  him  repeatedly, 
greatly  to  the  disgust  of  "  scientific  "  spectators.  The 
Salem  driver  proved  himself  worthy  of  his  name,  for 
he  showed  himself  to  be  a  man  of  hard  knocks. 

We  subjoin  Mr.  Foster's  interesting  sketch,  confi- 
dent that  it  will  form  one  of  the  most  readable  chap- 
ters in  this  volume  :  — 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  19 

"  Reader,  do  you  remember  the  days  of  stage 
coaches,  before  the  building  of  railroads,  when  Potter 
(Jim)  led  off  at  7  A.  M.,  with  his  team  of  bays,  on 
Mondays,  Wednesdays,  and  Fridays,  and  dapple  grays 
on  Tuesdays,  Thursdays,  and  Saturdays  ?  Potter  was 
very  punctual  when  he  had  a  full  freight  of  very  par- 
ticular kind  of  folks;  but  with  a  slim  freight  you 
could  overtake  him  before  he  passed  Butfuni's  Corner. 

"  Just  before  8  A.  M.,  Woodbury  (Page)  would  be 
seen  coming  round  the  Common  with  his  pair  of  bays, 
on  the  jump;  he  swung  round  and  round  the  corners, 
and  around  the  big  elm  tree  in  the  stable  yard  in 
Union  Street.  In  a  trice  the.  bays  were  taken  off, 
and  McMullen  hitched  on  the  four  milk  whites,  and 
Page  was  off.  Charles  Cross,  afterwards  Albert 
Knight,  and  then  Savory  (Ben)  brought  nine  o'clock, 
often  with  a  team  of  '  Old  Rips  ; '  this  was  not  a  fa- 
vorite hour,  but  made  a  good  return  coach  at  5  P.  M. 

"Ten  o'clock  was  a  good  hour,  and  on  Jklonday, 
Wednesday,  and  Friday,  Shaw  (Mose)  came  in  with  the 
Gloucester  passengers,  and  Tuesday,  Thursday,  and 
Saturday  good-natured  Albert  Knight,  and  later,  the 
pleasant  and  accomplished  Jacob  Winchester. 

"The  stir  of  the  old  Sun  Tavern  was  some  at  ten 
o'clock,  and  Mr.  Lankester  or  '  Sam '  Manning  were 
a  little  busy  about  this  time  ;  at  about  ten  they  were 
gone ;  and  then  '  Sir '  William  Manning  would  say, 
'  Probably '  we  shall  send  out  at  10|  o'clock.  '  Sir 
William'  was  then  an  oldish  man,  but  now  that  some 
seven  or  eight  and  thirty  years  have  passed  and 


20  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

gone,  he  is  a  young  man,  thus  reversing  the  order  of 
nature. 

'•  There  was  a  great  inquiry  in  those  days  for  the 
Gloucester  stage ;  the  very  dry  ones  inquiring  for  it 
before  it  arrived,  and  those  not  quite  so  dry  inquiring 
if  it  had  gone.  It  was  usual,  however,  for  both  sets 
to  take  a  drink. 

"  '  Lot '  (Peach)  brought  1|  P.  M.  At  the  time  this 
coach  was  put  on  there  were  but  few  passengers,  but 
it  soon  became  quite  popular. 

"  '  The  Major '  (Shaw)  went  out  at  3  P.  M.,  and  this 
closed  the  regular  outward  or  up  trip  for  the  day. 
After  the  'Major,'  'Pete'  (Ray)  drove  this  route. 
Any  number  of  extras  were  over  the  road  at  all 
times,  both  day  and  night.  The  first  coach  in  from 
Boston  was  the  'Major,' at  11  o'clock;  the  Glouces- 
ter at  11  P.  M.,  Potter  at  5,  Page  at  6,  Savory  at  7, 
and  Peach  at  8  P.  M. 

"  Potter  always  had  a  fine  team,  and  the  best  coach 
on  the  road ;  being  the  first  out  in  the  morning,  he 
had  a  good  deal  of  what  was  termed  'business' — 
the  accumulation  over  night  of  all  the  letters,  bun- 
dles, orders,  bank  books,  <fec.  He  always  bragged 
r.bout  his  business ;  and  although  all  the  drivers  had 
more  or  less,  yet  he  generally  led,  and  paid  in  the 
most  money.  On  a  cold  frosty  morning,  or  in  return- 
ing in  the  afternoon  against  a  cold,  raw  east  wind, 
the  way  he  put  hia  team  over  the  road  was  a  caution 
to  old  folks. 

"  To  him  was  assigned  the  honor  of  driving  Lafayette 


OF  AX  OLD  rxmr.ssMAX.  21 

on  his  visit  here  in  1824.  Potter  hud  on  this  occasion 
an  open  barouche  and  a  team  of  splendid  horses,  and 
drove  him  through  to  Newburyport.  The  next  day 
his  younger  brother,  Joseph,  was  sent  down  to  Now- 
buryport  to  drive  home  the  team.  When  he  reached 
Ipswich,  Mr.  Tread  well,  the  proprietor  of  the  old 
Stage  and  Half-Way  House,  between  Salem  and  New- 
buryport,  advised  Joseph  to  have  his  team  unhitched 
and  his  horses  groomed.  When  the  team  was  hitched 
on,  Mr.  Treadwell  said  to  Joseph,  '  Now  throw  back 
the  head  of  the  barouche,  and  I  will  take  the  back 
seat  and  ride  to  Salem  with  you,  and  I  will  personate 
Lafayette.'  To  those  who  may  remember  Mr.  Tread- 
well,  I  need  not  say  that  he  was  a  splendid .  looking 
man,  always  elegantly  dressed,  and  his  air  and  man- 
ners were  of  the  most  refined  of  the  old  school ;  and 
one  of  Mr.  Treadwell's  greetings  and  bows,  as  he 
ushered  in  his  guests  from  a  stage  coach,  not  forget- 
ting the  elderly  lady  who  was  the  last  to  leave  the 
stage,  on  his  leave-taking  as  a  coach  load  departed, 
will  never  be  erased  from  the  memory  of  those  who 
ever  witnessed  them.  On  the  road  he  gave  orders,  as 
he  was  nearing  a  school-house, '  Drive  slow,  Joseph  ; ' 
and  on  passing,  he  was  bowing  to  the  right  and  left. 
The  boys  all  knew  the  team,  hallooing,  '  Here  is 
Lafayette  back  again ! '  and  the  men  left  their  work  in 
the  fields,  and  the  women  left  theirs  in  the  house,  and 
ran  to  the  doors  and  windows;  and  he  would  say, 
Faster,  Joseph,'  until  he  had  cleared  from  the  crowd, 
and  was  ready  at  the  next  cluster  of  houses  to  resume 


22  WAIFS   FROM  THE   WAY-BILLS 

his  bowing.  Of  my  own  knowledge  I  could  not  state, 
but  that  some  of  the  humans  now  living  on  the  road 
still  think  they  saw  Lafayette  return. 

"  Page  went  more  by  jumps  ;  he  would  scale  the 
hollows,  and  by  the  time  he  was  half  way  up  the  hill, 
his  team  would  be  down  in  a  slow  walk. 

"  When  Hon.  Henry  Clay  made  his  visit  here,  Page 
and  his  team  of  milk  whites  were  in  attendance. 
When  Mr.  Clay  left,  it  was  from  the  residence  of  Hon. 
Nathaniel  Silsbee,  on  Pleasant  Street.  Page  and  his 
team  were  at  the  door.  As  Mr.  Clay,  with  the  com- 
mittee, came  down  the  steps,  he  said  to  Page,  'I 
have  heard  a  good  deal  of  your  superior  roads,  and 
of  your. fast  teams,  but  as  yet  I  have  seen  none  of  it; 
I  have  now  (looking  at  his  watch)  just  one  hour  to 
meet  an  engagement  in  Boston.  How  long  will  it 
take  you,  Mr.  Page,  to  put  us  in  Boston?'  Page  re- 
plied, '  We  will  do  our  best,  sir ;  but  jump  in  if  you 
have  only  one  hour.'  In  sixty  minutes  from  the  time 
they  started  they  were  at  the  door  of  the  Tremont 
House  in  Boston,  and  when  leaving  the  coach  he 
owned  up  to  Mr.  Page  that  he  never  rode  before. 

" '  Mose  '  had  good  teams,  although  he  always  grum- 
bled about  them ;  and  his  own  expression  was,  '  he 
used  to  let  them  rip.' 

" '  Albert '  never  had  any  trouble ;  his  teams  always 
went  well  and  came  well. 

"'Jacob'  was  a  genteel  driver,  and  no  lady  could 
pass  over  the  road  from  Gloucester  so  pleasantly  with 
any  one  else  as  with  Jacob. 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  23 

" '  Lot '  was  a  splendid  reinsman,  and  his  team  used 
to  perform  as  well  as  any  others. 

"'  The  Major'  took  all  the  ladies  and  children,  and, 
as  he  used  to  say,  '  If  you  will  believe  it,  Mrs.  or 
Miss  won't  go  unless  she  can  go  with  me.' 

"  With  '  Pete '  the  ladies  began  to  ride  outside ;  as 
at  that  time  the  coaches  made  after  the  English  style, 
on  steel  springs,  and  a  dicky  behind,  gave  a  very 
superior  seat  for  the  driver,  over  the  Jack  coaches, 
and  '  Pete '  had  a  way  of  amusing  the  ladies  that 
was  irresistible.  He  was  rich,  and  owned  houses  and 
farms,  and  drove  only  because  he  had  the  company 
of  the  ladies.  He  could  build  castles  in  the  air 
with  such  a  plausibility  that  no  one  ever  attempted 
to  doubt. 

"  Besides  them,  there  was  a  coach  driven  by 
Thompson  to  and  from  Marblehead ;  and  three  times 
a  week  to  Haverhill,  driven  by  David  Sanderson,  after- 
wards by  Pinkhain.  David  Sanderson  had  a  new  way 
of  driving  —  walk  his  team  down  hill  and  run  up ! 

".  At  the  time  we  write  about,  the  Salem  and  Bos- 
ton Stage  Company  was  a  great  concern,  and  was  up 
with  any  other  line  in  the  United  States,  and  in  the 
character  of  their  agents  and  drivers,  and  in  the  su- 
periority of  their  teams  and  coaches,  and,  perhaps,  in 
advance  of  them  all,  as  they  were  the  first  to  intro- 
duce the  swing-rack  and  foot-board,  as  it  was  termed, 
and  after  these  the  splendid  steel  spring  coaches. 
These  were  mostly  built  under  their  own  supervision, 
in  their  own  shops,  and  by  their  own  mechanics. 


24  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

"  There  were  Stephen  Daniels  and  Benjamin  Bray, 
coach-body  makers ;  Joseph  Smith  and  Osgood  Brad- 
ley, as  wheelwrights  (Bradley  is  now  a  car  builder) ; 
John  McGlue  and  David  Harding,  and  a  half  score  of 
others,  as  blacksmiths ;  John  Chipman,  John  Mackie, 
and  John  Frye,  as  saddlers  and  carriage  trimmers ; 
Joseph  D.  Sadler  and  Daniel  C.  Manning,  as  painters ; 
and  the  gigs  and  coaches  got  up  by  the  company, 
from  1821  (when  it  was  incorporated)  to  1834, '5,  and  '6, 
were  beyond,  in  strength  and  finish,  any  to  be  seen  at 
the  present  time. 

" '  Sir  William '  Manning  was  captain  general ;  old 
Henry  (Cross)  was  the  agent  at  Boston ;  '  Sam '  had 
charge  of  the  stable  at  the  '  Marlborough,'  in  Boston, 
and  afterwards  fitted  out  the  stages  from  Salem  with 
Mr.  Lankester,  ran  the  expresses  to  overtake  the 
stages,  &c. 

"  There  were  also  a  host  of  extra  drivers  among 
them :  William  D.  Winchester,  Joshua  Butman,  Joseph 
Potter,  Benjamin  Leavitt,  <  Tom '  Dodge,  Alden  Har- 
ris, Daniel  Moore,  and  others. 

"  In  summer,  some  of  the  regular  and  extra  drivers 
were  away  on  journeys.  Page  went  with  the  Bev- 
erly parties;  Jacob  was  the  favorite  driver  for  all 
bridal  parties,  and  for  special  journeys  to  New  York 
for  specie. 

"  There  were  between  fifty  and  sixty  men  on  the 
pay-roll  of  the  company,  all  good,  sound,  and  reliable. 

"  On  a  Sunday  evening  some  ten  or  fifteen  accident- 
ally met  at  the  office  ;  they  were  all  dressed  up  in 


OP  AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  25 

their  Sunday  go-to-meeting  clothes.  Mr.  Manning 
came  out  of  the  house,  and  finding  the  office  full,  was 
quite  surprised.  '  Why,  dear  me,'  said  he,  '  I  did  not 
know  that  I  had  so  fine  a  set  of  men ;  I  think  some 
day  I  will  form  you  in  a  line  in  Union  Street,  and 
show  you  up,  as  the  best  looking  men  about,  as  I  can 
probably  beat  any  of  the  military  companies.' 

"  Mr.  Samuel  Manning  and  Mr.  Lankester  were 
famous  for  attaching  extra  tails ;  they  always  had  on 
hand  a  number  of  long,  flowing  tails.  There  was  a 
splendid  horse  in  the  stable  called  '  Hunter.'  One  day 
Hunter  was  taken  out,  and  his  tail  was  '  extended ; '  a 
man  was  put  on  him,  to  show  him  off  around  the  Com- 
mon. Mr.  Manning,  in  passing,  saw  the  splendid  ani- 
mal with  his  tail  sweeping  the  ground.  He  very  much 
admired  him,  but  was  not  aware  at  the  time  that  it 
was  one  of  the  stock  with  an  '  extension.' 

"  Mr.  Daniel  C.  Manning  first  entered  the  service  of 
the  company,  in  1823,  as  an  office  boy,  and  carried 
round  the  letters  and  bundles  on  the  arrival  of  the 
stages.  For  the  small  packages  a  horse  and  gig  was 
always  ready  on  the  arrival  of  each  coach,  and  here 
began  the  first  eocpress  business  of  this  country.  From 
here  Daniel  went  into  the  company's  paint  shop,  then 
in  charge  of  Joseph  D.  Sadler,  where  he  served  a 
regular  apprenticeship,  and  became  a  first-class  car- 
riage painter,  in  which  business  he  continued  for  some 
years,  combining  with  it  the  letting  of  a  few  horses. 
The  paint  shop  was  then  abandoned,  and  he  went  very 


26  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

extensively  into  the  livery  business  with  Mr.  Joseph 
Smith.* 

"  At  the  time  of  re-writing  these  reminiscences 
(1870)  we  find  him  a  true  Manning ;  as  he  grows 
older  in  years  he  becomes  young;  and  not  to  be  out- 
done by  Potter  or  Page,  we  see  him  driving,  in  that 
fearful  storm  of  the  8th  of  February,  1870,  Prince 
Arthur  to  the  Peabody  funeral,  and  for  eight  consecu- 
tive hours  not  leaving  his  box.  Like  Mr.  Peabody,  he 
started  a  poor  boy ;  but  by  his  untiring  industry,  and 
his  natural  resources,  he  is  now  rated  among  the  self- 
made  capitalists.  He  also  had  the  honor  of  driving 
(or  running),  with  a  team  of  eight  horses,  President 
Polk  through  the  city,  on  the  occasion  of  his  visit  here 
in  1847  or  1848. 

"  Before  the  incorporation  of  the  Salem  and  Boston 
Stage  Company,  in  1821,  a  line  of  stages  had  been 
run  by  Mr.  Richard  Manning,  and  afterwards  by  his 
sons,  William,  Robert,  and  Samuel;  and  in  1810  or 
1811  the  Mannings  bought  out  the  old  Burrill  line  of 
stages.  Their  stables  were  in  the  rear  of  Court 

*  Joseph  Smith,  who  has  been  in  the  livery  business  all  his  life 
long,  was  employed  by  the  Committee  of  Reception  during  General 
Jackson's  visit  here  in  1833.  He  used  on  the  occasion  an  open  ba- 
rouche, and  had  a  team  of  four  black  horses,  one  of  which  belonged 
tq  the  Hon.  Joseph  S.  Cabot,  who  was  on  the  committee  that  re- 
ceived President  Jackson.  It  will  be  recollected  by  many  that  the 
President  was  taken  unwell,  and  that  Smith  drove  him  through  the 
crowd  on  the  run  to  the  Mansion  House.  The  next  day  he  drove 
him  around  the  city,  and  then  to  Andover,  where  the  committee 
from  New  Hampshire  were  in  waiting  for  him. 


OF   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  27 

(DOW  Washington)  Street,  and  their  office  was  in  the 
rear  of  where  now  stands  Nourse's  fruit  store. 

"In  1815  or  1816  a  company  was  formed  of  the 
Messrs.  Manning,  Henry  Cross,  and  others.  Holten 
Dale,  who  will  be  remembered  by  many  as  the  great- 
est whip  in  the  county,  drove  the  first  coach  out  at 
7  o'clock.  A.  M.,  and  Willis,  a  large  and  splendid  look- 
ing man,  drove  the  first  coach  in  from  Boston,  and  after- 
wards Carpenter.  Dale  always  had  elegant  horses,  — 
his  team  of  sorrels  were  square-backed,  and  always 
trimmed  and  combed  to  a  hair,  —  and  very  few  ladies 
in  those  days  spent  as  much  time  in  dressing  as  was 
spent  on  those  horses ;  his  coach  was  always  in  order, 
and  ran  very  still,  as  about  every  morning  he  went 
over  it  himself,  and  screwed  up  all  the  nuts. 

"Those  who  were  in  college  from  1810  to  1816  will 
remember  Dale,  as  he  claimed  as  a  right  the  privilege 
of  driving  home  the  students  at  the  vacations.  In- 
stead of  his  coach,  he  sometimes  used  an  open  basket 
carriage,  which  would  hold  about  fifteen  or  eighteen; 
but  as  there  was  no  convenience  for  baggage,  that 
had  to  be  sent  by  another  team.  With  the  light  bas- 
ket carriage  he  could  spin  off  ten  or  twelve  miles  an 
hour,  and  land  his  passengers  from  Cambridge,  say 
seventeen  or  eighteen  miles,  in  one  hour  and  thirty  or 
forty  minutes.  Once,  about  Christmas  time,  after  he 
had  starred,  there  came  up  a  furious  snow  storm,  and 
by  the  time  they  reached  Salem  the  basket  was  full 
of  snow,  and  the  students  closely  packed  together. 

"But  those  reminiscences  are  so  far  extended  that 


28 


WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 


I  will  close.  Many  of  the  actors  have  paid  the  last 
debt  of  nature,  and  those  who  are  left  are  getting  to 
be  among  the  old  folks. 

"  I  add  a  list  of  the  employees,  so  far  as  I  can  re- 
call them:  — 

DRIVERS. 


Holten  Dale. 

Willis, 

Carpenter, 

James  Potter, 
Wood  bury  Page, 
Samuel  Shaw, 
Moses  Shaw, 
Albert.  Knight, 
J.  B.  Winchester, 
William  Winchester, 
Peter  W.  Ray, 
Benjamin  Savory, 
Lot  Peach, 
Charles  Cross, 
William  Cross, 
Daniel  Moore, 
John  Hathaway, 
Alden  Harris, 
John  Lane, 


J.  C.  Trask, 
Joseph  Trask, 
Addison  Center, 
Charles  Sargent, 
John  Miller, 
Jonathan  Cass, 
Benjamin  Thompson, 
Charles  Dearborn, 
Thomas  Adams, 
Joshua  Butman, 
Joseph  Potter, 
Daniel  Sanderson, 
Thomas  Dodge, 
Benjamin  Leavitt, 
Isaac  Pinkham, 
Peter  Stevens, 
Col.  Thomas  Adams, 
J.  B.  Wheelock, 
Noah  Knox. 


SADDLERS. 

Joseph  Hathorne,  John  Mackie, 

John  Chipman,  John  Frye. 


OF   AN    OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  2'J 

BLACKSMITHS. 

John  McGlue,  Peter  McDermot*. 

David  Harding, 

WHEELWRIGHTS. 

Joseph  Smith,  Osgood  Bradley. 

CARRIAGE-BODY  MAKERS. 

Stephen  Daniels,  Benjamin  Bray. 

PAINTERS. 

Joseph  D.  Sadler,  Daniel  C.  Manning. 

CLERKS. 

Henry  Cross,  Daniel  S.  Proctor, 

D.  M.  Lankester,  William  H.  Foster. 

'  Should  auld  acquaintance  be  forgot,'  <fec." 


30  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 


CHAPTER   II. 

MAGNITUDE  OF  THE  EXPRESS  BUSINESS. 

VERY  few,  even  of  our  business  men,  are  aware  of 
the  immense  amount  of  valuable  business  daily  trans- 
acted by  a  first-class  express  company.  The  piles  of 
bank  packages,  representing  often  many  times  the 
capital  of  a  large  banking  institution,  are  handled 
about  by  the  messengers  and  clerks  with  a  seeming 
carelessness,  but  in  reality  with  a  perfect  system  of 
careful  management.  Each  package  being  receipted 
for  to  the  bank  official,  is  then  entered  at  the  express 
office,  each  parcel  checked  when  called  off  to  the 
entry  clerk,  and  then  again  checked  by  the  messenger 
when  placed  in  his  safe.  Losses  of  large  packages 
seldom  occur  unless  the  messenger  is  forcibly  robbed, 
or  his  safe  imperilled  by  the  dangers  of  steamboat 
navigation.  In  another  portion  of  this  history  several 
remarkable  cases  of  loss  by  robbery,  and  otherwise, 
will  be  alluded  to.  Everything  movable  is  sent  by 
express,  from  a  box  of  pills  to  a  locomotive  engine  ! 
Men,  women,  dogs,  cats,  and  nearly  all  members  of 
the  feathered  creation  are  intrusted  to  the  care  of 
the  indefatigable  expressman. 


OP   AN  OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  31 

The  interior  of  the  express  office  is  sometimes  a 
lively  place  on  account  of  the  somewhat  mixed  char- 
acter of  the  freight  deposited  there.  Sitting  and 
lying  about  on  boxes  and  trunks  may  be  seen  an  in- 
teresting family  group,  fresh  from  the  bogs  of  auld 
Ireland ;  the  "  old  man "  sucking  away  at  an  old 
"  dudheen,"  whose  intolerable  fumes  serve  to  choke 
off  more  disagreeable  smells  ;  the  "  old  woman  " 
dealing  out  rations  of  black  and  unsavory  crusts  to  the 
unwashed  and  hungry  "  childer,"  and  occasionally  di- 
versifying the  entertainment  by  an  indiscriminate 
"  slaughter  of  the  innocents  "  which  swarm  on  the 
juvenile  heads  of  the  said  "  ehilder." 

In  another  portion  of  the  office  is  deposited  an  im- 
mense coop  of  fowls,  the  odor  from  which  is  decidedly 
foid,  comprising  cocks,  hens,  and  turkeys,  the  prop- 
erty of  some  itinerant  dealer,  who  may  call  for  them 
in  a  day  or  two,  perhaps  in  a  week  or  fortnight.  The 
crowing  of  the  cocks,  the  cackle  of  the  hens,  and 
gobble  of  the  turkeys,  combined  with  the  unearthly 
howl  of  a  hungry  and  forsaken  dog  confined  in  an 
odious  smelling  box,  and  the  wailing  of  a  Hibernian 
baby  in  the  arms  of  the  old  woman,  make,  together,  a 
miscellaneous  concert.  Add  to  this  confusion  of 
sounds  the  hoarse  voice  of  the  driver  calling  off  hid 
freight,  the  undercurrents  of  talk  from  customers  at 
the  counter,  the  crash  of  overturned  boxes  and  con- 
tinuous slam  of  doors,  and  the  express  office  may 
justly  be  considered  a  pretty  "  lively  place." 


32  WAIFS  FROM  THE  WAY-BILLS 

SCENES  IN  AN  EXPRESS  OFFICE. 

Some  ludicrous  scenes  often  occur  in  an  express 
office,  of  which  the  following  is  a  sample  : — 

Enters  a  tall,  gaunt,  red-headed  individual,  with  a 
cadaverous  and  elongated  visage,  and  most  woe-begone 
expression,  who  solemnly  marches  up  to  the  counter, 
and  addresses  the  clerk  with,  — 

"  I  say,  dew  yew  run  tew  Kennebunk?  " 

Clerk.  —  "  The  express  does,  sir." 

Stranger.  —  "  Well,  what  dew  yew  charge  tew  send 
a  purty  good  sized  box  down  ?  I  want  tew  git  it 
threw  purty  quick." 

Clerk.  —  "I  could  tell  better  if  I  saw  the  box.  What 
does  it  contain?" 

Stranger.  —  "  Somethin'  I  was  afeard  might  spile ; 
so  I  thought  I  wouldn't  resk  it  by  freight  train, 
although  'tain't  worth  much  to  me." 

Clerk.  —  (Impatiently.)  "  Well,  what  does  the  box 
contain  ?  " 

Stranger.  —  "  My  wife  !  " 

Sometimes  incidents  of  a  touching  character  will 
transpire  in  the  precincts  of  the  unsentimental  ex- 
press office.  For  instance :  An  expressman,  upon 
reaching  his  office  early  one  cold  morning  in  January, 
observed  on  the  sidewalk  a  long,  heavy  box,  which 
his  practised  eye  at  once  identified  as  containing  a 
corpse.  Upon  one  end  of  the  box,  shivering  with  the 
cold,  sat  a  little  half-clad  boy,  about  seven  or  eight 
years  of  age.  Addressing  him  kindly,  he  said,  — 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  33 

"My  lad,  don't  sit  there ;  you  will  freeze;  come  in 
and  sit  by  the  stove." 

Bursting  into  tears,  the  little  fellow  replied,  "  No, 
I  can't  come  in  ;  my  mother  is  in  this  box,  and  I 
promised  her  I  would  never  leave  her  until  we  got 
home." 

Deeply  affected  with  the  touching  devotion  of  this 
brave  little  fellow,  ho  finally  succeeded  in  convincing 
him  of  the  entire  safety  of  his  precious  charge,  and 
taking  him  over  to  a  neighboring  restaurant,  gave 
him  a  warm  breakfast,  and  learned  the  particulars  of 
his  sad  story.  His  father  died  about  a  year  previous- 
ly, in  a  remote  village  in  Minnesota,  leaving  his  mother 
in  poor  health,  and  nearly  destitute.  She  died  but  a 
few  days  before  the  boy's  sad  journey,  charging  the 
little  hero  with  the  duty  of  conveying  her  remains  to 
her  friends  in  a  distant  state,  and  furnishing  him  with 
(all  she  had)  a  sum  of  money  barely  sufficient  to  carry 
them  both  by  freight  cars  to  their  destination.  The 
little  fellow  had  actually  ridden  night  and  day  in  a 
freight  car  with  his  melancholy  trust,  never  for  a  mo- 
ment losing  sight  of  it. 

THE   FIRST  EXPRESSMAN. 

The  credit  of  establishing  the  first  express  was  due 
to  the  late  W.  F.  Harnden.  Many  have  supposed  that 
the  Adams  Express  Company  was  the  first  institution 
of  this  kind,  on  account  of  its  great  prominence  before 
the  public  for  the  past  twenty  years.  Mr.  Adams  did 
oot  commence  business  until  two  years  after  the  ad- 
3 


34  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

vent  of  Harnden.  Several  parties  did  a  regular  ex- 
press business  before  Harnden,  but  were  not  known 
by  the  title  of  expressmen.  Mr.  William  C.  Gray,  of 
Lowell,  and  still  living  in  that  place,  ran  over  the 
road  between  Boston  and  Lowell,  with  money  pack- 
ages and  freight,  as  early  as  1836,  three  years  before 
Harnden.  Dean  &  Davenport  (now  Davenport  & 
Mason)  carried  freight  and  packages  between  Boston 
and  Taunton  in  1836  and  1837,  Mr.  Mason,  of  the 
present  firm  of  D.  &  M.,  running  as  messenger.  But 
W.  F.  Harnden  was  the  first  to  adopt  the  name  Ex- 
pressman. 

W.  F.  HARNDEN 

was  born  in  Reading,  Mass.,  in  1812.  His  father  was 
a  house  painter,  in  moderate  circumstances,  and  gave 
his  son  a  fair  common  school  education.  He  (the  son) 
was  of  slight  figure  and  fragile  constitution,  but  of 
great  courage  and  energy.  He  was  employed  as 
ticket  master  at  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad 
depot  as  early  as  1835  and  1836,  but  the  sedentary 
nature  of  his  employment,  and  the  close  application 
required,  gradually  undermined  his  health,  and  he 
cast  about  him  for  other  and  more  active  employment. 
This  he  did  not  find  until  the  early  part  of  the  year 
1839,  when  he  commenced  an  experimental  trip  to 
New  York,  via  steamer  from  Providence,  carrying 
only  a  valise,  and  paying  passenger  fare.  This  was 
indeed  the  day  of  small  things,  and  his  encourage- 
ment for  a  time  was  not  great.  He,  however,  kept  up 


OP   AN  OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  35 

good  courage,  and  after  a  short  season,  by  dint  of 
sheer  hard  work  and  earnest  endeavor  to  please  his 
few  patrons,  his  business  so  increased  that  he  made 
arrangements  with  the  Stonington  route  to  run  a  mes- 
senger on  that  line.  He  now  arranged  with  Mr.  Luke 
Damon,  and  his  younger  brother,  Adolphus  Harnden, 
to  run  each  way  on  alternate  nights. 

Mr.  Damon  was  in  his  employ  for  several  years,  and 
was  afterwards  employed  by  Kinsley  &  Co.  as  their 
Boston  agent.  He  has  now  retired  from  the  ex- 
press business,  after  a  service  of  nearly  thirty  years, 
and  resides  in  California.  Mr.  Damon  is  extensively 
known,  and  is  justly  regarded  as  an  accomplished  ex- 
pressman and  an  honorable  gentleman  in  every  sense 
of  the  word.  He  has  many  warm  friends,  who  sin- 
cerely regret  his  departure  to  a  distant  sphere  of 
usefulness.  Mr.  Adolphus  Harnden  was  an  active, 
energetic  young  fellow,  and  bade  fair  to  become  emi- 
nent in  his  profession.  He  continued  to  act  as  mes- 
senger for  his  brother  until  the  awful  burning  of  the 
steamer  Lexington,  on  the  fearful  night  of  January 
13,  1840,  when  he  perished  in  that  dreadful  catastro- 
phe. In  addition  to  the  affliction  caused  by  the  loss 
of  a  dearly  beloved  brother  by  the  burning  of  the 
Lexington,  Mr.  Harnden's  loss  of  property  was  ruin- 
ous to  a  man  of  his  limited  capital ;  but  he  was  not 
called  upon  to  make  good  any  portion  of  the  property 
belonging  to  other  parties  which  was  intrusted  to  his 
charge.  The  most  serious  loss  on  this  occasion  was 


36  WAIF?   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

that  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  in  specie  consigned  to 

the  Merchants  Bank  of  Boston. 

i 

THE  BURNING  OF  THE  LEXINGTON. 

In  these  days  of  terrific  railroad  collisions  and 
steamboat  burnings,  through  which  fearful  agencies 
thousands  of  hapless  passengers  are  annual !y  killed, 
mangled,  and  maimed,  the  almost  daily  announcement 
of  an  awful  catastrophe,  involving  the  destruction  by 
the  score  and  hundred  of  hapless  men,  women,  and 
children,  excites  hardly  a  passing  remark  beyond  the 
circle  from  which  a  member  has  been  ruthlessly  torn. 
Very  few  of  the  readers  of  these  harrowing  details 
at  the  present  day  can  realize  the  thrill  of  horror 
which  ran  through  our  community  on  the  morning  of 
the  15th  of  January,  1840,  when  news  was  received 
in  the  city  of  the  burning  of  the  steamer  Lexington, 
on  Long  Island  Sound,  by  which  dreadful  calamity 
one  hundred  and  fifty-fix  persons,  many  of  them  well 
known  and  valued  members  of  this  community,  were 
burned  and  drowned.  Among  the  prominent  victims 
sacrificed  on  that  fearful  night  were  many  well-re- 
membered citizens.  Prominent  among  them  were, 
Professor  Follen,  of  Harvard  University;  Henry  J. 
Finn,  the  great  comedian  ;  Abraham  Howard,  firm  of 
Howard  &  Merry,  an  eminent  mercantile  house ;  John 
Brown,  head  of  the  large  house  of  John  Brown  &  Co., 
Commercial  Wharf;  Isaac  Davis,  a  well-known  dealer 
in  fancy  goods,  28  Washington  Street;  J.  Everett, 
Jr.,  firm  of  Everett  &  Searle,  51  India  Street;  George 


OF   AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  37 

Lemist,  an  old  and  wealthy  merchant  of  Roxbury ; 
Eberle,  the  actor;  A.  Harnden,  the  expressman;  and 
many  other  citizens  less  known  to  the  public.  In- 
tense feeling  was  caused  by  the  agonizing  details  of 
their  horrible  deaths.  Only  four  persons  survived 
that  awful  night,  and  of  the  miraculous  escape  of  one 
member  of  that  little  party  we  propose  to  give  some 
account.  This  man  was  David  Crowley,  mate  of  the 
steamer,  whose  wonderful  escape  and  almost  super- 
human  endurance  were  and  are  without  a  parallel  in 
the  history  of  struggles  for  life.  We  had,  on  a  recent 
trip  from  New  York,  an  account  from  the  lips  of 
Mr.  Crowley  of  his  experience  on  that  dreadful  night. 
He  says  the  recollection  of  the  harrowing  scenes 
then  passed  through  ever  continues  to  haunt  his 
dreams. 

The  steamer  Lexington  left  New  York  on  the  even- 
ing of  January  13,  1840,  with  a  full  complement  of 
passengers,  and  with  a  fair  prospect  of  a  safe  and 
pleasant  trip,  although  the  night  was  intensely  cold. 

The  Lexington  was  ft  comparatively  new  boat,  and 
was  considered  the  handsomest  and  fastest  on  the 
Sound.  Compared  with  the  present  floating  palaces, 
she  was  a  most  ordinary  craft,  but  in  those  times  a 
model  of  beauty.  She  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Child,  an  experienced  captain,  and  was  noted  for  her 
speed.  She  made  good  time  for  three  hours  out  of 
New  York,  and  had  passed  Huntington  Light,  about 
forty  miles  from  New  York,  some  four  miles,  when 
fire  broke  out  in  the  engine-room  from  some  cause 


38  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

which  has  never  been  fully  explained,  and  the  doomed 
boat  was  soon  all  on  fire  amid-ships.  The  flames 
spread  rapidly  on  account  of  the  combustible  na- 
ture of  her  deck  load,  consisting  of  cotton  bales. 
In  the  sudden  effort  to  head  her  for  the  shore  in  a 
rough  sea,  the  hide  tiller  rope  on  the  larboard  side 
parted,  and  the  boat  was  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves. 

The  scene  that  now  ensued  amongst  the  ill-fated 
passengers  and  crew  was  fearful.  Mr.  Crowley,  upon 
the  first  alarm,  was  about  "  turning  in,"  until  his 
"  watch  "  was  called.  His  berth  was  in  the  lower  cabin  : 
and  not  knowing  the  extent  of  the  danger,  he  rushed 
upon  deck,  clad  only  in  his  woollen  drawers,  woollen 
shirt,  stockings,  and  boots.  He  was  bareheaded  and 
nearly  barefooted,  as  his  stockings  were  cotton,  and 
boots  thin,  —  rather  a  meagre  outfit  for  the  perilous 
voyage  on  which  in  a  few  moments  he  embarked.  As 
the  flames  rapidly  enveloped  the  deck,  the  doomed 
passengers  and  crew  wildly  rushed  to  the  windward 
of  the  fire,  some  frantically  praying  and  crying,  or 
rather  shrieking,  whilst  others  were  stoically  resigned 
to  their  fate.  Mr.  Crowley  well  remembers  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  lamented  Follen,  who  alone  appeared 
composed  amidst  the  harrowing  scene.  The  most  affect- 
ing sight  he  witnessed,"  which  can  never  be  effaced 
from  his  memory,  was  the  conduct  of  two  gentlemen, 
merchants  of  Boston,  who,  standing  upon  the  narrow 
space  between  the  raging  flames  and  the  seething 
waters,  commended  their  families  to  the  care  of  God, 
in  fervent  supplication,  and  in  tones  which  were  heard 


OP  AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  39 

above  the  crackling  flames  and  roaring  waters  bade 
good  by  to  wives  and  children,  and  then  disappeared 
beneath  the  boiling  waters. 

The  only  boat  belonging  to  the  steamer  was  a  yawl 
boat,  about  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  in  length,  which,  in 
the  hurry  of  launching,  was  partially  crushed  under  the 
paddles,  so  as  to  disable  it  from  floating  with  any  one 
on  board.  This  wreck  floated  on  shore,  and  was  the 
means  of  informing  the  inhabitants  of  the  vicinity 
where  it  landed  of  the  name  of  the  steamer  burned, 
as  it  contained  the  overcoat  of  Captain  Child,  and  in 
the  pockets  were  found  several  letters  addressed  to 
its  unfortunate  owner. 

Mr.  Crowley,  when  he  took  to  the  water,  was  fortu- 
nate enough  to  secure  a  floating  bale  of  cotton,  on 
which  he  committed  himself  to  God,  the  wind,  and 
the  tide.  What  a  prospect  before  him  I  with  hardly 
sufficient  clothing  for  a  July  night,  no  foothold,  no 
object  to  grasp  but  the  tightly  fitting  ropes  which 
held  the  bale  together,  —  useless  to  his  stiffened  fin- 
gers,—  the  bale  continually  rolling  and  bobbing  in 
the  rough  sea,  which  ever  and  anon  broke  over  him, 
the  thermometer  below  zero,  and  the  pitiless  wintry 
blast  howling  like  a  demon  over  his  almost  denuded 
person.  How  long  would  an  ordinary  person  survive 
such  exposure?  We  opine  that  few  men  could  be 
found  capable  of  withstanding  such  a  trial  for  a  few 
hours,  or  perhaps  minutes.  Mis  Crowley  survived  it' 
from  nine  o'clock  Monday  evening  to  Wednesday 
evening  at  nine  o'clock,  —  forty-eight  hours, —  during 


40  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

which  time  he  drifted  fifty-three  miles,  maintaining  his 
position  on  the  bale  notwithstanding  he  indulged  in 
several  short  naps  !  Pie  took  to  his  bale  about  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  left  it  for  the  shore  on  the 
following  evening  at  about  the  same  hour.  He  landed 
at  a  place  called  Old  Friar's  Head,  a  bluff  adjoining 
the  town  of  River  Head,  Long  Island,  on  the  opposite 
shore  from  New  Haven,  the  widest  portion  of  the 
Sound. 

When  the  bale  struck  the  ice.  some  few  hundred 
yards  from  the  shore,  he  felt,  although  slightly  delir- 
ious at  intervals  from  the  intensity  of  his  sufferings, 
that  he  was  saved,  and  immediately  commenced  a 
struggle  to  gain  the  shore.  Covered  with  ice,  with 
no  sensation  in  his  frozen  limbs,  the  instinct  of  self- 
preservation  urged  him  to  effort,  and  slowly  and  pain- 
fully crawling  over  the  rough  and  slippery  surface, 
he  at  length  managed  to  reach  the  shore.  But  what  a 
prospect  before  him  !  a  steep,  icy  bluff  to  be  sur- 
mounted, the  whole  landscape  enshrouded  in  thick 
darkness. 

After  a  season  of  incredible  exertion  he  at  length 
surmounted  the  formidable  bluff,  and  O,  joy  !  he  dis- 
covered in  the  dim  distance  the  faint  glimmer  of  a 
light.  With  that  indomitable  will  which  characterizes 
Mr.  Crowley,  and  to  which  he  owes  his  preservation, 
he  at  once  hobbled  and  crawled  in  its  direction.  The 
distance  from  his  landing  was  one  and  a  half  milos; 
arid  he  succeeded  in  reaching  the  house  about  ten 
o'clock,  P.  M.  The  family  fortunately  happened  to  be 


OP  AN  OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  41 

up  much  beyond  their  usual  hour  on  account  of  the 
arrival  of  a  son  from  New  York  city.  This  son, 
Samuel  Hutchinson,  Esq.,  now  a  well  known  merchant 
of  New  York,  had  but  a  few  moments  before  arrived, 
bringing  news  of  the  kexington's  loss,  which  had 
boon  communicated  to  him  by  the  stage  driver  who 
brought  him  over.  When  Mr.  Crowley  knocked  at 
the  door,  it  was  opened  by  a  lad  who  started  back  in 
affright  at  the  strange  apparition  which  met  his  view. 
And  well  he  might  have  been  startled,  for  Mr.  Crow- 
ley  presented  a  figure  shocking  to  behold.  Bare- 
headed, his  hair  matted  with  ice,  his  woollen  shirt  and 
drawers  covered  with  the  same  material,  his  eyes 
wild  with  delirium,  his  haggard  appearance  would 
have  frightened  the  boldest. 

Young  Mr.  Hutchinson  comprehended  the  case  at 
once,  and  approaching  Mr.  Crowley,  as  he  stood  trem- 
bling at  the  threshold,  asked  him  if  he  was  from  the 
wrecked  steamer.  Mr.  C.  replied  that  he  was,  and  he 
was  immediately  assisted  into  the  house,  and  properly 
nursed  and  cared  for.  He  was  confined  to  the  house 
until  the  following  April,  when  he  returned  to  his 
home  in  the  city  of  Providence.  He  escaped  with 
the  loss  of  two  toes  on  each  foot,  but  experienced  no 
permanent  ill  effects  from  his  unparalleled  exposure, 
and  to  this  day  has  never  experienced  a  day's 
illness. 

Mr.  Crowley  is  now  in  his  fifty-third  year,  but  does 
not  appear  a  year  more  than  forty.  Although  not  an 
athletic  man  in  appearance,  he  is  very  compactly 


42  WAIFS    FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

built,  of  hardly  medium  height,  but  remarkably  wiry 
and  active.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  years' 
steamboating  in  California,  he  has  always  been  con- 
nected as  an  officer  with  some  of  the  Sound  steamers. 
A  few  years  since  he  distinguished  himself  by  saving 
ten  lives  from  the  burning  steamer  City  of  Norwich 
and  on  one  occasion  saved  several  lives  from  a 
schooner  which  was  run  down  by  a  Sound  steamer. 
He  is  now  in  the  employ  of  the  New  York  Express 
Company,  No.  24  Summer  Street,  and  is  an  active, 
genial,  and  intelligent  man.  Mr.  Crowley  says  that 
the  engraving  of  the  burning  of  steamer  Lexington, 
in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Wait,  who  keeps  the  cigar 
store  at  the  corner  of  Washington  and  Water  Streets, 
is  a  good  representation  of  the  boat  and  of  her  ap- 
pearance on  the  night  of  the  calamity. 

The  bodies  of  many  victims,  were  washed  ashore 
near  the  scene  of  the  disaster,  and  presented  a  truly 
melancholy  spectacle.  Many  were  scorched  by  the 
cruel  flames,  but  not  sufficiently  to  indicate  that  death 
ensued  from  burning.  It  was  evident  that  the  suffer- 
ers were  driven  in  their  extremity  to  the  dread  al- 
ternative of  death  by  fire  or  water,  and  chose  the 
latter  as  the  most  merciful.  Upon  the  breaking  up 
of  the  ice  during  the  spring  months  several  bodies 
were  exposed.  These  being  in  a  fair  state  of  preser- 
vation, were  examined,  and  efforts  made  to  identify 
them.  One,  that  of  Mr.  J.  Everett,  Jr.,  of  Boston, 
was  found,  and  Mr.  Crowley  was  sent  for,  with  the 
hope  that  he  might  possibly  give  some  clew  to  his 


OP    AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  43 

identity,  as  his  features  we.e  well  preserved.  A  sil- 
ver watch  was  found  in  his  pocket,  but  no  papers. 
Mr.  Crowley  recommended  taking  off  his  boots,  which 
v/as  done,  and  the  maker's  name,  Harrington,  Boston, 
with  the  number,  was  found  written  in  the  inner  leg. 
By  referring  to  Mr.  Harrington,  the  name  of  the  own- 
er was  discovered,  and  the  body  delivered  to  his 
relatives. 

Mr.  Adolphus  Harnden,  who  was  lost,  was  brother 
to  William  F.  Harnden,  the  pioneer  of  expressing. 
He  was,  like  his  lamented  brother,  an  active,  ener- 
getic fellow,  and  perished  after  a  protracted  struggle 
to  save  himself  and  preserve  the  valuables  committed 
to  his  charge.  The  only  expressman  living  who  was 
on  the  Sound  that  night,  was  Luke  Damon,  who  was 
for  many  years  the  faithful  agent  of  Kinsley  &  Co.'e 
Express,  but  then  in  the  employ  of  Harnden.  He  is 
now  in  California  He  was  on  board  the  boat  bound 
for  New  York,  and  passed  over  some  hours  later  the 
spot  where  the  Lexington  was  burned,  but  was  ig- 
norant of  the  disaster  until  after  his  return  trip. 

A  reference  to  the  files  of  the  Boston  papers  for 
the  early  months  of  1840  shows  how  deep  and  univer- 
sal was  the  interest  excited  by  this  dreadful  calamity. 
Every  issue  of  the  Post  in  the  month  of  January, 
after  the  16th,  contained  some  allusion  to  the  LexingA 
ton.  It  took  a  long  time  in  those  days  to  get  the 
whole  story  of  an  event  like  this  before  the  public. 
The  first  publication  concerning  the  disaster  was  in 
the  Post  of  January  17.  A  very  meagre  account  of 


44  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

it,  about  a  third  of  a  column  long,  was  prefaced  by 
the  following  remarks :  — 

"  The  news  of  the  loss  of  the  steamer  Lexington  and  nearly  two 
hundred  lives,  which  reached  here  yesterday,  produced  a  sensation 
of  distress  and  melancholy  in  our  community  that  we  never  saw 
equalled.  Large  groups  of  people  collected  at  every  corner,  inquir- 
ing with  feverish  anxiety  the  particulars,  and  trembling  as  each  cir- 
cumstance was  related,  lest  it  should  expose  the  death  of  some 
relative  or  friend." 

The  particulars  which  followed  were  wholly  de- 
rived from  the  journals  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  and 
New  York,  and  furnished  only  a  mere  statement  of 
the  burning  of  the  steamer,  and  brief  narratives  of 
two  survivors.  The  Post  of  the  next  day,  the  18th, 
contained  an  incomplete  list  of  the  passengers. 

Public  sympathy  found  expression  in  a  meeting  at 
Faneuil  Hall,  at  which  Mayor  Jonathan  Chapman  pre- 
sided, and  which  was  addressed  by  several  prominent 
citizens.  George  S.  Hillard  introduced  in  a  speech 
of  great  eloquence  a  series  of  resolutions  conveying 
sympathy  with  the  bereaved  friends  of  the  lost,  se- 
verely censuring  the  owners  of  the  Lexington, 
denouncing  the  carriage  of  cotton  on  passenger 
steamers,  and  urging  the  legislature  of  the  state  to 
address  Congress  upon  the  necessity  of  more  strin- 
gent legislation  for  the  preservation  of  human  life  on 
steamboats.  As  is  stated  above,  two  eminent  actors 
perished  in  the  Lexington  —  Henry  J.  Finn  and 
Charles  L.  Eherle.  Benefits  were  given  at  the  thea- 
tres for  the  families  of  these  gentlemen,  and  feeling 


OF    AN    OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  45 

eulogies  were  pronounced  on  them  in  the  newspapers. 
A  Boston  bookseller  exhibited  a  print  representing 
the  Lexington  in  flames,  in  his  store  window,  and  was 
sternly  reprimanded  therefor  by  the  Courier,  which 
regarded  the  exhibition  as  an  unfeeling  advertise- 
ment. 

This  awful  calamity  —  more  awful  thirty  years  ago 
than  it  would  be  to-day,  when  the  public  has  become 
hardened  to  such  horrors  —  drew  out  manifestations 
of  sorrow  and  pity  from  all  sections  of  the  country, 
and  proved  that  Christian  charity  is  not  so  rare,  after 
all.  One  incident  specially  deserves  mention.  The 
papers  of  New  York  and  Boston,  soon  after  the  dis- 
aster, were  crowded  with  advertisements  offering  re- 
wards for  the  recovery  of  the  bodies  of  the  victims. 
Many  of  the  lost  were  of  wealthy  families,  and  the 
rewards  offered  were  very  large.  Among  them  ap- 
peared the  advertisement  of  a  poor  widow,  tendering 
five  dollars  —  all  she  had  —  for  the  privilege  of  looking 
once  again  on  the  body  of  her  husband,  and  giving  it 
Christian  burial.  Her  offer  attracted  attention,  arid 
the  next  issue  of  the  paper  following  its  publication 
contained  the  announcement  that  the  sum  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty-one  dollars  had  been  contributed 
for  the  widow's  benefit. 

The  fire  which  worked  such  terrible  havoc  was  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  machinery  and  woodwork  were 
insufficiently  protected  against  the  intense  heat  of 
the  coal  fires.  The  boat  had  been  built  to  burn  wood. 
At  the  beginning  of  her  last  voyage  a  passenger,  no- 


46  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

ticing  this  lack  of  protection,  remarked  upon  it  to  a 
fireman.  The  latter  replied,  "  0,  we  expect  all  to  be 
burned  up  some  day."  The  Lexington  had  been 
thoroughly  overhauled  and  repaired  only  two  months 
before,  and  was  in  first-rate  order.  She  was  valued 
at  fifty  thousand  dollars.  But  she  was  a  mud-scow 
compared  with  the  steamers  of  the  present  day. 

If  a  steamboat  built  forty  years  ago  could  be  ex- 
hibited to-day  in  our  harbor,  what  a  sensation  it  would 
create !  The  little,  insignificant  contrivance  would 
hardly  be  pronounced  safe  or  comfortable  for  a  harbor 
excursion.  The  boats  of  those  days  were  open-decked 
from  the  smoke-stacks  forward,  and  in  a  heavy  sea 
were  liable  to  be  washed  from  one  gangway  to  an- 
other. The  guards  were  "  sponded  "  up  from  stem  to 
stern,  and  the  full  force  of  the  sea  striking  them  under- 
neath made  the  steamer  shake  like  an  aspen  leaf.  The 
few  state-rooms  on  the  after-deck  were  small,  cold, 
and  uncomfortable,  and  the  unventilated  cabin  below 
was  but  a  slight  improvement  upon  the  hold  of  a 
ship.  The  want  of  fresh  air,  the  numerous  oil  lamps 
and  chandeliers,  with  the  odoriferous  exhalations 
from  the  inevitable  "  darky  "  waiters,  all  combined  to 
produce  odors  somewhat  different  in  quality  irom  those 
"  spicy  breezes  "  which  "  blow  soft  o'er  Ceylon's  isle." 

Among  the  first  "  splendid  "  boats  were  those  run- 
ning from  Providence,  called  the  Benjamin  Franklin, 
Chancellor  Livingston,  President,  Providence,  &c. 
The  Lexington  was  built  to  eclipse  these  in  beauty  and 
speed,  and  was  then  considered  a  ':  thing  of  beauty;" 


OF   AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  47 

We  give  below  a  partial  list  of  the  passengers  on 
board  the  Lexington  on  this  last  and  fatal  voyage:  — 

Isaac  Davis,  of  Boston ;  Charles  W.  Woolsey,  of 
Boston  ;  Robert  Blake,  of  Wrentham.  President  Wren- 
tham  Bank  ;  W.  A.  Greene,  of  Allen  &  Greene,  Provi- 
dence; Adolphus  Harnden,  Superintendent  of  Harn- 
den's  Express,  who  had  in  charge  twenty  thousand 
dollars  in  specie  for  the  Massachusetts  Bank,  F:ston, 
and  from  forty  to  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  bank  notes ; 
Nathaniel  Hobart,  of  Boston ;  John  Corey,  of  Fox- 
boro' ;  John  Brown,  of  Boston  ;  Abraham  Howard,  of 
Howard  &  Merry;  H.  C.  Craig,  of  Maitland,  Kennedy, 
&  Co.,  of  New  York ;  Robert  Schultz,  of  New  York ; 
Captain  J.  D.  Carver,  of  bark  Brontes,  of  Plymouth; 
Alphonso  Mason,  of  Gloucester;  Charles  Brackett,  of 
New  York;  Captain  Poster,  of  the  John  Gilpin, 
Providence ;  Jesse  Comstock  ;  Samuel  Henry,  of  A.  <fe 
S.  Henry,  Manchester,  England ;  R.  W.  Dow,  of  Dow 
<fe  Co.,  New  York;  C.  H.  Phelps,  Stonington; 
Mrs.  H.  A.  Winslow,  New  York;  John  Winslow, 
Providence;  William  Winslow,  Providence  (the 
three  last  mentioned  were  returning  to  Providence 
with  the  body  of  H.  A.  Winslow,  who  had  died  a  lew 
days  previously) ;  Rev.  Dr.  Follen,  of  Boston ;  Mr. 
White,  of  Boston ;  Mr.  Pierce,  of  Portland,  mate  of 
the  Brontes;  Captain  E.  J.  Kimball;  Captain  B.  T. 
Foster  (these  captains  had  recently  returned  after 
several  years'  absence,  and  were  on  their  way  to  visit 
their  families  at  the  east);  Mr.  Everett,  Boston; 
Royal  T.  Church,  Baltimore ;  Richard  Picket,  New- 


48  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

buryport ;  Captain  Low,  agent  of  the  Boston  Under- 
writers; Mr.  Ballou,  or  Bullard,  of  New  York;  Cap- 
tain Theophilus  Smith,  Dartmouth,  Mass. ;  Charles  S. 
Noyes,  New  York;  J.  L.  Sheafe,  New  York;  A.  E. 
Harding,  of  Harding  &  Co.,  New  York;  John  Hoyt, 
mail  contractor ;  Henry  J.  Finn,  actor ;  Mrs.  Russell 
Jarvis,  New  York,  and  two  children ;  J.  W.  Kerle, 
Baltimore ;  Mr.  Weston,  of  Weston  &  Pendexter,  Bal- 
timore ;  James  G.  Brown,  of  Shale  &  Brown,  New 
Orleans ;  Mr.  Walker,  Baltimore ;  Stephen  Waterbury, 
of  Mead  &  Waterbury,  New  York ;  Mr.  Woodward, 
Philadelphia;  J.  A.  Leach,  Boston;  E.  B.  Patten, 
New  York ;  Mr.  Warner,  of  Warner,  Loop  &  Bliss, 
New  York ;  N.  F.  Dyer,  Pittsburg,  formerly  of  Brain- 
tree ;  H.  C.  Bradford,  Boston;  Charles  Lee,  Boston ; 
John  G.  Stone,  Boston;  John  Lemist,  Treasurer  Bos- 
ton Leather  Company  ;  Jonathan  Lintield,  Stoughton ; 
Mr.  Van  Cott,  Stouington  ;  Philo  Upton,  Egremont, 
Mass. ;  Mr.  Stuy vesant,  Boston ;  Captain  Mattison ; 
Robert-  Williams,  Cold  Spring,  N.  Y. ;  C.  L.  Eberle, 
actor,  Boston  ;  Captain  Child,  brother  of  the  captain 
of  the  boat ;  Mr.  Dorr,  New  York  ;  Mr.  Taylor,  New 
York  ;  P.  O.  Swaine,  Mr.  Lawrence,  P.  McKean,  and 
C.  Biswell,  New  York  ;  John  Walker,  Cambridge ;  J. 
Howes,  Cambridge  ;  George  B.  Smith,  Brookline. 

BoaVs  Company,  viz. :  —  Captain  George  Child ; 
E.  Thurber,  first  mate  ;  J.  R.  Newman,  steward ;  J. 
Sands,  head  waiter ;  C.  Hempsted,  first  engineer ; 
Captain  Manchester,  pilot ;  W.  Quimby,  second  do. ; 
M.  Johnson,  wheelman  ;  R.  B.  Shultz,  B.  Cox,  Charles 


OP   AN    OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  49 

Smith,  George ,  firemen  ;  five  colored  waiters  : 

Susan  C.  Hulcomb,  chambermaid ;  J.  Robinson,  0. 
Howell,  R.  Peters,  cooks  ;  nine  deck  hands  ;  two  wood 
passers ;  barkeeper.  Total  number  lost,  one  hundred 
and  forty. 

Saved.  —  Captain  Chester  Hillard,  passenger  ;  Cap- 
tain Manchester,  pilot;  David  Crowley,  mate  ;  John 
Smith,  fireman. 

Shortly  after  the  commencement  of  Harnden's 
enterprise,  he  engaged,  as  clerk  and  general  as- 
sistant, Mr.  Dexter  Brigham,  Jr.,  a  young  man  from 
Westboro',  Mass.,  and  a  brother  of  the  late  lamented 
E.  D.  Brigham,  President  of  the  Metropolitan  Railroad 
Company.  Young  Brigham  possessed  remarkable 
business  talents,  and  was  well  appreciated  by  Mr. 
Harnden.  He  afterwards  became,  upon  the  decease 
of  Harnden,  the  leading  proprietor  of  the  express. 
Mr.  Harnden's  struggles  for  success  were  now  unceas- 
ing ;  but  it  was  "  up-hill  work,"  and  his  almost  in- 
credible exertions  were  poorly  rewarded.  Business 
men,  although  convinced  of  its  utility,  gave  his  ex- 
press but  indifferent  patronage  —  it  was  an  experi- 
ment, and  the  "  solid  men  of  Boston  "  are  proverbially 
shy  of  experiments.  In  these  his  days  of  almost 
unrewarded  effort,  he  toiled  incessantly ;  and  his  con- 
Btitution,  naturally  feeble,  received  so  great  a  strain 
that  his  health  became  permanently  undermined,  and 
he  often  expressed  the  opinion  to  his  friends  that  he 
should  never  live  to  reap  the  results  of  his  labors. 
4 


50  WAIFS   FROM   THE    WAY-BILLS 

Alas!  his  fears  proved  to  be  but  too  well  founded. 
Notwithstanding  his  foiling  health,  he  was  ever  on  the 
alert,  and  never  paused  for  the  rest  he  so  much 
needed. 

About  the  period  of  his  severest  struggles,  an  un- 
looked-for assistance  appeared.  The  line  of  Cunard 
steamers  went  into  operation,  and  the  consequent 
great  increase  of  foreign  packages  to  be  delivered  in 
New  York  gave  a  new  impetus  to  his  business.  Harn- 
den  was  wide  awake  to  avail  himself  of  the  opportu- 
nities now  offered,  and  his  little  Court  Street  office  on 
steamer  days  presented  a  lively  and  bustling  scene. 
We  can  well  recall  the  appearance  of  Harnden  as  the 
well-filled  wagon,  driven  by  the  now  veteran  driver, 
Levi  Hodgkins,  rolled  up  to  the  door,  the  famous  old 
bull  dog  "  Dan  "  occupying  the  seat  with  Levi. 

By  the  way,  that  same  old  dog  was  a  remarkable 
brute.  His  quick  eye  would  instantly  detect  suspicious- 
looking  individuals,  and  such  persons  he  always  fol- 
lowed closely  about  the  office  with  a  "  watchful "  eye 
upon  their  every  motion.  Harnden,  with  the  inevitable 
cigar  always  between  his  lips,  was  "  himself"  on 
these  occasions.  Although  cool,  reserved,  and  chary 
of  words,  he  w^s  full  of  energy  and  impulse,  always 
reticent,  but  absorbed  in  the  work  before  him.  Elated 
with  the  brilliant  prospects  now  opening  up,  he  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  ornamenting  his  office  with  a  grand 
scenic  painting,  representing  the  Cunard  Wharf  at 
East  Boston,  the  steamer  lying  in  the  dock,  and  his 
express  wagons  loading  up  from  the  gangway.  This 


OP  AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  51 

painting,  which  is  remarkably  well  executed,  and  in 
size  about  fifteen  feet  in  length  by  six  feet  in  width, 
gives  a  very  accurate  representation  of  East  Boston 
in  1840,  and  is  really  quite  an  object  of  curiosity,  as 
it  illustrates  in  a  very  marked  manner,  by  comparison, 
the  wonderful  growth  of  our  island  ward.  The 
painting  is  still  in  possession  of  the  Harnden  Express 
Company,  at  98  Washington  Street,  arid  the  associa- 
tions connected  with  it  render  it  an  object  of  interest, 
particularly  to  railroad  and  expressmen. 

EARLY  EMPLOYEES. 

Among  the  earlier  clerks  and  employees  of  William 
F.  Harnden,  several  have  risen  to  eminent  positions  in 
the  business  world.  Several  of  them  are  particularly 
worthy  of  mention.  J.  L.  Stone,  now  of  the  banking 
firm  of  Stone  &  Downer,  was  an  efficient  clerk  -for 
Harnden  as  early  as  1839.  Mr.  Stone,  and  his  worthy 
partner,  Mr.  Downer,  also  an  expressman  of  the  olden 
time,  have  achieved  success  in  their  present  vocation 
—  a  success  which  they  abundantly  merit,  for  two 
more  honest,  upright,  and  genial  men  never  trod  the 
sidewalks  of  State  Street. 

M.  M.  Ballou,  the  successful  publisher,  James  M. 
Thompson,  the  Springfield  millionnaire,  J.  W.  Law- 
rence, now  Lawrence  &  Ryan,  Oliver  C.  Wyman,  Esq., 
noted  as  a  successful  dramatic  and  humorous  writer, 
W.  N.  Melcher,  now  proprietor  of  the  American  Ex- 
press Company,  and  many  other  well-known"  individu- 
als, were  connected  with  him.  James  Gay,  now  de- 


52  WAIES   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

ceased,  was  an  efficient  messenger  for  Harnden.  He 
afterwards  founded  the  noted  firm  of  Gay,  Kinsley,  & 
Co.,  whicfr  lias  recently  become  absorbed  in  the 
Adams  Express  Company.  Of  all  the  original  em- 
ployees of  Harnden  &  Co.,  none  are  now  connected 
with  that  express.  Eben  Cain,  who  commenced  as 
driver  shortly  after  Harnden's  decease,  "still  lives/' 
and  is  now  the  oldest  express  driver  in  the  business. 
Levi  Hodgkins,  the  original  driver  for  Harnden,  now 
drives  a  job  wagon,  employed  principally  in  business 
connected  with  the  Custom  House.  Among  the  val- 
ued and  confidential  employees  of  Harnden,  none 
stand  higher  in  his  esteem  than  Mr.  J.  W.  Lawrence, 
now  of  the  well-known  firm  of  Lawrence  &  Ryan, 
Passenger  Agents,  No.  10  Broad  Street,  Boston.  Mr. 
L.  has  many  letters  of  Harnden's,  which  he  values 
very  highly.  The  bold,  free  style  of  his  penmanship 
is  characteristic  of  the  man. 

HARNDEN'S  FOREIGN  EXPRESS. 

The  great  impetus  given  Harnden's  business  by 
the  advent  of  the  Cunard  steamers  aroused  in  his 
breast  the  most  ambitious  aspirations,  and  he  began 
to  feel  quite  dissatisfied  with  the  limited  field  of  his 
operations.  In  1841  he  established  his  Boston  and 
Albany  Express  over  the  Western  Railroad.  This 
was  a  move  in  the  right  direction,  and  had  he  con- 
tinued pushing  his  business  over  that  road  and  its 
connections,  a  princely  fortune  would  have  been  the 
result ;  but  he  became  infatuated  with  the  idea  tliat 


OP   AN   OLD   rXPnniRMAN.  53 

a  European  express  was  the  one  thing  needful  and 
desirable.  In  August,  1811,  lie  sent  out  to  Liverpool 
Dexter  Briglmm,  Jr.,  and  J.  L.  Stone,  to  establish  ex- 
presses in  Liverpool,  London,  and  Paris.  They  were 
successful  in  procuring  good  agents  in  these  cities, 
and  for  two  or  three  years  the  "  English  and  Conti- 
nental Express "  was  an  apparent  success ;  but  the 
great  expense  of  establishing  and  running  it  left  no 
margin  for  dividends.  This  enterprise  was  the  great 
mistake  of  Harnden's  life.  In  addition  to  the  ruinous 
outlay  without  equivalent  returns,  he  concentrated 
his  energies  upon  this  hobby,  to  the  great  detriment 
of  his  domestic  expresses.  The  now  great  and 
important  Western  route,  which  has  made  impe- 
rial fortunes  for  the  present  proprietors,  was  dis- 
posed of  for  a  more  song  to  J.  M.  Thompson,  a  clerk 
in  his  Boston  office,  and  R.  L.  Johnson,  of  Albany. 
This  magnificent  route  was  literally  thrown  away  by 
Harnden,  causing  him,  even  before  his  death,  many 
regrets  for  the  infatuation,  which,  like  many  of  the 
remote  missionary  enterprises  of  the  present  day, 
ignore  a  field  of  home  usefulness  for  possible  and 
problematical  results  in  a  distant  quarter. 

Harnden's  health  now  began  rapidly  to  fail,  and 
during  the  fall  of  1844  it  was  very  evident  that  the 
"sands  of  his  glass  "  were  nearly  runout.  On  the 
14th  day  of  January,  1845,  he  bade  adieu  to  earthly 
scenes,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-three.  His  remains 
were  consigned  to  Mount  Auburn,  where  a  marble 
monument  was  erected  to  his  memory. 


54  WAIFS  FROM  THE  WAY-BILLS 

THE  PECUNIARY  RESULTS 

of  Harnden's  hard  labor  for  so  many  years  of  unre- 
mitting toil  and  mental  anxiety  were  very  small;  in 
fact,  be  died  poor,  and  left  nothing  but  the  inheritance 
of  a  good  name  to  his  wife  and  young  family.  The 
great  outlay  required  for  his  European  business  had 
exhausted  all  his  pecuniary  resources,  and  his  really 
paying  routes  had,  as  I  have  before  mentioned,  been 
disposed  of  for  a  mere  pittance.  He  was  a  large- 
hearted  man,  of  a  hospitable  nature,  and,  under  the 
most  favoring  pecuniary  circumstances,  could  not 
have  accumulated  a  fortune. 

CHANGE  OF  PROPRIETORSHIP. 

After  his  death,  his  surviving  partner,  Dexter 
Brigham,  Jr.,  formed  a  copartnership  with  Robert 
Osgood,  J.  C.  Kendall,  and  John  W.  Fenno.  The  lat- 
ter gentleman  was  formerly  a  State  Street  banker,  of 
the  celebrated  firm  of  Dana,  Fenno,  and  Henshaw. 
For  a  year  or  more  after  Harnden's  death,  the  busi- 
ness of  the  new  concern  perceptibly  declined,  and  it 
was  quite  evident  that  the  "beginning  of  the  end" 
had  commenced.  Several  changes  in  the  style  of  the 
firm  rapidly  took  place,  and  in  1850  the  Harnden  Ex- 
press became  the  property  of  several  individuals, 
under  the  style  of  Thompson,  Livingston,  &  Co.;  but 
they  still  retained  the  name  of  Harnden's  Express. 
This  change  refers  only  to  the  New  York  apd  Phila- 
delphia Express,  as  Brigham,  Fenno,  and  Osgood  con- 


OF   AN  OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  55 

tinned  the  foreign  express  until  1851,  when  they 
caved  in,  with  a  tremendous  crash,  leaving  a  host  of 
mourners  in  the  shape  of  bills  of  exchange  holders, 
which  bills  were  more  "  honored  in  the  breach  than 
in  the  observance." 

THE  PRESENT  HARNDEN  EXPRESS 

exists  only  in  name.  The  great  cormorant,  the  Adams 
Express  Company,  has  "  gobbled  up"  Harnden  <fc  Co., 
Kinsley  &  Co.,  Earle  &  Co.,  Leonard  &  Co.,  and  last, 
but  not  least,  the  Merchants'  Union  Express  Company. 
The  present  office,  which  does  business  under  the  style 
of  Harnden  &  Co.,  is  under  the  superintendence  of 
Freeman  Cobb,  Esq.,  a  gentleman  who  has  few  equals, 
and  no  superiors,  as  an  express  manager.  Mr.  Cobb, 
who  is  a  Cape  Cod  boy,  is  a  fair  sample  of  the  intelli- 
gent and  enterprising  sons  of  that  barren  region, 
prolific  only  in  men  and  women  remarkable  the  world 
over  for  intelligence  and  enterprise.  He  commenced 
as  clerk  for  Adams  &  Co.  in  1850,  but  subsequently 
went  to  Australia,  where  he  accumulated  a  handsome 
fortune  in  staging  and  expressing.  Having  given  a 
brief,  but  accurate,  account  of  the  Harnden  Express 
froja  its  inception,  in  1839,  up  to  its  absorption  by  the 
Adams  Express  Company,  the  next  great  express  en- 
terprise in  point  of  age,  but  not  next  in  magnitude, 
claims  the  attention  of  our  readers. 


56  WAIFS  FROM  THE  WAY-BILLS 

THE  ADAMS  EXPRESS  COMPANY, 

which  has  acquired  a  world-wide  renown  for  the  mag- 
nitude of  its  transactions,  realizing  millions  of  dollars 
for  its  fortunate  proprietors,  and  making  fortunes  for 
scores  of  enterprising  men,  commenced  its  career 
under  circumstances  of  a  very  humble  character. 
The  extraordinary  success  of  this  great  corporation 
could  never  have  been  foreseen  by  its  senior  proprie- 
tor, Alvin  Adams,  Esq.,  when  he  commenced  in  the 
year  1840,  in  connection  with  Mr.  P.  B.  Burke,  a 
humble  opposition  to  William  F.  Harnden.  Mr.  Adams 
is  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  a  good  specimen  of  the 
physical  productions  of  the  Green  Mountain  State. 
He  had  no  capital  or  influential  friends,  and  for  sev- 
eral years  the  path  of  life  was  a  "  hard  road  to  travel." 
He  was  engaged  first  as  an  assistant  at  the  Lafayette 
Hotel,  opposite  Boylston  Market,  and  afterwards  in 
the  produce  business,  which  did  not  prove  remunera- 
tive ;  his  business  talent  was  reserved  for  something 
better  adapted  to  his  peculiar  faculties.  The  plodding 
occupation  of  a  retail  produce  dealer  was  every  way 
unsuited  to  a  brain  capable  of  great  combinations,"  and 
ho  was  ever  on  the  alert  for  something  of  a  progres- 
sive character.  He  had  the  foresight  to  perceive  that 
the  express  business  inaugurated  by  Harnden  would, 
in  process  of  time,  become  a  necessity  to  the  mercan- 
tile community,  and  he  fully  made  up  his  mind  to 
start  in  the  competitive  race. 


OP  AN  OLD  EXPRESSMAN.  57 

UP-HILL  WORK. 

The  first  few  months  of  his  undertaking  were  truly 
a  season  of  "  up-hill "  work.  Mr.  Burke,  after  six 
months'  experience,  retired  in  disgust,  a  disheartened 
man ;  but  Alvin  Adams,  notwithstanding  the  unprom- 
ising aspect  of  affairs,  kept  bravely  at  work.  Many 
business  men  considered  him  an  interloper  upon  the 
domains  of  Harnden,  although  he  entered  the  field  as 
an  honorable  competitor  in  a  perfectly  legitimate  man- 
ner, because  he  was  an  opposition  expressman.  Mr. 
Adams  very  properly  estimated  these  merely  technical 
objections  at  their  proper  value,  and  "  pushed  things  " 
with  characteristic  energy  and  courage.  For  a  long 
time  he  acted  as  messenger,  clerk,  and  boy  ;  the  busi- 
ness did  not  pay  enough  to  employ  wagon  and  driver. 
Mr.  E.  H.  Brainard,  the  now  celebrated  wagon  builder 
of  South  Boston,  did  the  first  wagon  business  for 
Adams.  Leonard's  Worcester  Express,  occupying 
the  same  room  with  Adams  at  9  Court  Street,  had 
arranged  with  Brainard  to  deliver  their  freight,  and 
Adams  "  improved  the  opportunity  "  to  arrange  with 
u  Ned  "  to  do  his  work.  It  was  not  a  very  "  paying  " 
business  for  Brainard ;  but  he  is  one  of  those  good- 
hearted,  generous  souls,  who  cannot  help  doing  a 
good  turn  whenever  the  occasion  offers,  and  he  gen- 
erously assisted  Adams  by  every  means  in  his  power. 
Mr.  Hall,  a  brother-in-law  of  Adams,  entered  the  Bos- 
ton office  as  clerk,  and  W.  B.  Dinsmoro,  a  Boston  boy, 
assumed  the  agency  at  New  York.  Dinsmore  pos 


58  WAIFS  FROM  THE  WAY-BILLS 

sessed  many  good  qualities  for  his  position.  Ho  was 
active,  energetic,  and  industrious,  of  a  chatty,  sociable 
nature,  and  made  many  friends  and  customers. 

The  first  three  years  of  Adams  &  Co.'s  Express 
were  years  of  hard  sledding;  nor  did  their  business 
improve  to  any  extent  until  Harnden  &  Co.  became  so 
absorbed  in  their  foreign  operations  that  their  home 
express  suffered  considerably  by  want  of  attention  to 
its  details.  Adams,  ever  on  the  alert  to  improve  his 
opportunities,  took  advantage  of  this  state  of  things, 
and  redoubled  his  efforts  to  secure  patronage.  As  a 
natural  consequence,  he  began  gradually  to  prosper. 
He  had  also  the  sagacity  to  secure  good,  capable  em- 
ployees. "  Uncle  "  Woodward,  formerly  a  New  Hamp- 
shire stage  driver,  was  engaged  to  drive  and  collect 
freight.  Woodward  proved  himself  a  valuable  acqui- 
sition, his  industry,  faithfulness,  and  affable  manner* 
combining  to  make  him  a  profitable  and  popular  em- 
ployee. "  Uncle  "  Woodward,  after  an  active  career 
as  stage  and  express  driver  for  more  than  forty  years, 
retired  from  the  business  about  five  years  ago,  and 
with  the  hard-earned  proceeds  of  his  useful  toil  pur- 
chased a  small  farm  out  West,  and  is  living,  we  hope, 
in  a  state  of  comparative  ease.  Among  the  early 
employees  of  Adams,  mention  should  be  made  of 
Charles  H.  Brainard,  Esq.,  now  a  popular  lecturer, 
and  one  of  the  best  elocutionists  extant.  He  is  a 
most  ardent  admirer  of  Whittier,  and  recites  his  beau- 
tiful poem,  •'  Maud  Muller,"  in  a  style  this  unequalled 
production  demands  for  the  delectation  of  fastidious 


OF   AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  59 

ears.  Thomas  0.  Goold,  one  of  tho  curly  messengers 
of  Adams,  was  an  energetic,  capable  man,  and  greatly 
distinguished  himself  by  his  efforts  to  save  their 
property  when  the  ill-fated  steamer  Atlantic  was 
wrecked  on  Fisher's  Island,  on.  the  night  of  Novem- 
ber 25,  1846. 

This  fearful  disaster,  which  involved  the  loss  of  so 
much  life  and  property,  happened  a  few  miles 
put  of  New  London,  when  battling  with  the  furi- 
ous gale,  she  broke  some  portion  of  her  machinery, 
and  soon  became  unmanageable.  She  began  to 
drift,  and  after  an  unequal  contest  with  the  howling 
gale,  struck  upon  the  rocks  of  Fisher's  Island,  and  in 
a  few  hours  went  to  pieces. 

Most  of  the  boat  hands  and  the  passengers  of  ex- 
perience in  steamboat  travel  escaped  safely  by  jump- 
ing from  the  leeward  as  each  wave  ran  out,  but 
others,  in  their  fright  and  ignorance,  jumped  over- 
board from  the  windward  side  into  deep  water,  and 
were  immediately  drowned. 

Mr.  Goold  succeeded  in  saving  the  money  and  valu- 
ables of  Adams  &  Co.,  and  was  instrumental  in  saving 
the  lives  of  twenty  individuals.  For  his  gallantry  on 
this  occasion  he  received  a  splendid  gold  watch  and 
chain  1'rom  Adams  &  Co.,  and  a  medal  from  the  Bos- 
ton Humane  Society. 

Wo  add  to  tho  above  brief  mention  of  a  great  disas- 
ter, tho  following  account,  written  for  another  publica- 
tion, by  "  An  Old  Expressman." 


60  WAIFS   FROM    THE   WAY-BILLS 

A  FEARFUL  STEAMBOAT  DISASTER. 

Two  Heroes;  Thomas  0.  Qoold  and  Captain  J.  K.  Dustan. 

The  loss  of  steamer  Atlantic  near  Fisher's  Island, 
Long  Island  Sound,  on  Thursday  night,  Dec.  25,  1846, 
has  been  alluded  to  in  another  chapter.  A  mention 
of  this  heart-rending  disaster  will,  in  many  families, 
call  up  painful  recollections  of  a  calamity  which  de- 
prived them  of  a  cherished  member.  One  instance 
we  especially  recall  to  mind  was  that  of  Mr.  Andrew 
Collamore,  a  young  business  man  of  this  city,  who  was 
widely  known  and  esteemed  in  business  and  social 
circles,  who  was  journeying  to  New  York  to  be  mar- 
ried on  Thanksgiving  evening.  On  that  fearful  night 
the  cold,  icy  waves  of  Long  Island  Sound  embraced 
the  ardent  young  lover,  and  shrouded  in  grief  the  life 
of  a  beautiful  and  devoted  young  lady. 

The  steamer  Atlantic,  a  new  and  elegant  steamer,  the 
costliest  and  stanchest  boat  which  had  up  to  that  time 
floated  on  the  Sound,  was  totally  lost,  with  upwards  of 
fifty  passengers,  on  a  reef  of  rock,  oft'  Fisher's  Island,  a 
few  miles  out  of  New  London,  in  the  fearful  gale  of 
December  25  and  26,  1846.  The  25th  was  Wednes- 
day, the  day  before  Thanksgiving.  The  weather  had 
been  threatening  all  day,  but  towards  night  the  wind 
increased  to  a  gale,  accompanied  by  snow.  Captain 
Dustan,  who  was  an  able  and  experienced  captain,  had 
some  misgivings  about  putting  out  on  such  an  un- 
promising night,  but  two  reasons  induced  him  to  ven- 
ture. One  was,  the  anxiety  of  his  passengers  to 


OF   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  Gl 

arrive  in  Now  York  and  spend  Thanksgiving  with 
their  friends  and  relatives,  and  the  other,  his  great 
confidence  in  the  strength  and  sea-going  qualities  of 
his  new,  but  untried,  steamer.  JTe  had  been  wishing 
for  a  rough  trip,  in  order  to  give  her  a  good  test. 
Unfortunately  this  wish  was  met  on  this  occasion. 

Had  it  not  been"  for  an  unforeseen  accident,  there 
was  good  reason  for  belief  that  the  captain's  splendid 
seamanship,  and  the  stanch  qualities  of  the  boat, 
would  have  carried  her  safely  through.  When  off 
Fisher's  Island,  and  in  the  teeth  of  the  gale,  her  steam 
chest  burst,  und  she  became  unmanageable.  To  keep 
her  head  to  the  wind,  the  bow  anchor  was  dropped ; 
but  this  did  not  prevent  dragging.  Another,  but 
smaller,  anchor  was  got  out,  and  she  rode  through  the 
dreadful  night,  but  slowly  and  surely  dragged  towards 
the  reef.  With  the  advent  of  morning  the  gale  in- 
creased in  fury,  and  soon  it  became  evident  that 
going  ashore  was  only  a  question  of  time.  Through- 
out that  dreadful  Thanksgiving  day  she  slowly  drifted 
towards  the  cruel  rocks,  finally  striking  about  six 
o'clock  P.  M. ' 

Thou  followed  a  scene  of  distress  and  terror  which 
can  hardly  be  imagined.  The  wretched  passengers, 
some  praying,  and  others  rushing  frantically  about, 
saw  no  chance  of  escape  through  the  boiling  surf  to 
the  rocky  shore,  over  which  the  heavy  seas  dashed 
with  fearful  violence.  In  this  scene  of  peril,  Captain 
Dustau  behaved  with  great  coolness  and  courage, 
going  about  among  the  despairing  passengers,  and 


62  WAIFS  FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

speaking  words  of  encouragement.  The  steamship 
finally  wore  round  by  the  force  of  the  wind,  and 
her  stern  struck  the  shore,  leaving  that  portion  of  the 
vessel,  when  the  waves  receded,  in  quite  shoal  water. 
A  few  individuals,  blessed  with  coolness  and  presence 
of  mind,  here  saw  a  possible  chance  of  escape,  and, 
jumping  from  the  stern,  rushed  through  the  shallow 
waters  arid  gained  the  shore.  Among  them  waa 
Thomas  0.  Goold,  who  not  only  saved  the  bulk  of 
Adams  &  Co.'s  valuable  packages,  but,  by  his  almost 
incredible  exertions,  saved  the  lives  of  more  than 
twenty  passengers,  he  rushing  through  the  surf  and 
assisting  them  to  the  shore.  Had  they  all  possessed 
his  nerve  and  courage,  few  lives  would  have  been  lost ; 
but  timidity  and  hesitation  sealed  their  fate,  for  the 
tremendous  sea  soon  stove  in  pieces  her  upper  works, 
and  the  hapless  passengers  were  sent  struggling  into 
the  remorseless  waves.  About  fifty  perished  in  the 
surf  and  among  the  rocks,  while  many  were  dashed, 
stunned  and  mutilated,  upon  the  shore.  Captain  Dus- 
tan,  who  had  heroically  refused  to  avail  himself  of  the 
only  practicable  means  of  escape,  saying  that  he  would 
be  the  last  to  leave  his  steamer,  was  thrown  among 
the  breakers,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  stunned  by 
contact  with  the  rocks,  for  he  immediately  sunk. 
His  body  was  recovered  at  low  water.  Mr.  Goold,  for 
his  courageous  conduct,  received  a  gold  medal  from 
the  Humane  Society,  and  a  valuable  gold  watch  suit- 
ably inscribed  from  Adams  &  Co.'s  Express.  The 
untimely  death  of  Captain  Dustan  caused  universal 


OF   AN  OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  63 

sorrow,  for  he  was  popular  as  well  as  brave.  The 
following  thrilling  story,  whicli  we  copy  1'roin  the  Bos- 
ton Evening  Transcript  of  January  2,  1847,  will  be 
read  with  interest.  It  well  illustrates  the  daring  in- 
trepidity of  the  man.  It  originally  appeared  in  the 
New  York  Herald. 

"A  few  years  since — and  the  circumstance  is  still 
fresh  in  the  memory  of  our  readers — he  commanded  the 
ill-fated  Lexington.  On  her  passage  to  this  city  from 
Providence,  with  some  two  hundred  passengers,  a 
terrible  storm  overtook  her,  such,  perhaps,  as  was 
witnessed  in  the  loss  of  the  Atlantic.  After  beating 
about  and  struggling  for  a  long  time,  and  when  the 
gale  was  at  its  height,  she  unshipped  her  rudder !  A 
fearful  cry  went  up  from  all  on  board,  and  all  was 
given  up  for  lost.  The  boat  beat  about,  and  the  wind 
was  fast  driving  her  to  the  shore,  where  in  a  short 
time  she  would  have  been  dashed  into  pieces,  and 
every  soul  on  board  have  perished.  Captain  Pustan 
called  on  his  men,  and  asked  which  of  them  would 
jump  into  the  sea  and  lash  a  rope  to  the  rudder,  that 
it  might  be  re-shipped.  No  one  had  the  courage  to 
do  it.  Five  hundred  dollars  was  then  offered  as  an 
inducement,  but  it  was  not  accepted.  Fifteen  min- 
utes more  and  the  boat  would  be  dashed  in  pieces  — 
the  breakers  were  almost  within  reach.  A  thousand 
dollars  was  then  offered  —  the  passengers  clung  round 
the  captain  in  fearful  suspense,  and  waiting  with 
dreadful  anxiety  to  hear  some  one  accept  the  offer ; 
but  the  risk  was  too  great,  the  fate  too  terrible  to  at- 


64  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

tempt.  No  one,  either  among  the  passengers  or  crew, 
dared  accept  it  —  a  thousand  dollars  was  no  consider- 
ation for  such  a  fearful  risk.  Captain  Dustan  with- 
drew, and  the  passengers  gave  themselves  up  to 
hopeless  despair.  A  few  minutes  of  awful,  horrible 
reflection  ensued,  when  a  cry  was  heard  — '  A  man 
overboard  !  —  a  man  overboard !  It  ran  like  an 
electric  shock  through  the  chilled  and  frightened 
multitude,  as  an  omen  of  the  fate  which  momentarily 
awaited  them.  But  still  greater  was  the  shock  when  the 
cry  was  heard  — '  IT  is  CAPTAIN  DUSTAN!  —  IT  is 
CAPTAIN  DUSTAN  ! ' 

"  It  was  Captain  Dustan  —  he  had  tied  a  rope  round 
his  body,  stationed  two  or  three  of  his  men  at  the 
sternpost,  and  leaped  into  the  sea.  Manfully  he  buf- 
feted the  waves,  now  seen  riding  at  the  top  of  the 
highest  wave,  and  now  swallowed  up  in  the  trough  of 
the  sea,  tossing,  struggling,  and  working  his  way  to  tho 
loose  rudder.  At  length  he  gained  it ;  he  lashed  the 
rope  to  it,  and  in  ten  minutes  he  was  dragged  on 
board  the  boat  —  the  rudder  was  hung,  and  two  hun- 
dred lives  saved  by  his  daring  intrepidity." 

OTHER  EARLY  EMPLOYEES  OF  ADAMS  &  Co. 

Two  of  the  most  efficient  men  ever  employed  by 
Adams  &  Co.  were  Charles  and  D.  H.  Haskell,  two 
brothers.  They  were  both  prompt,  active,  and  thor- 
oughly efficient  business  men,  popular  with  customers, 
and  by  their  successful  exertions  Adams  &  Co.'s  Ex- 
press gained  much  of  its  early  renown.  Charles 


OF   AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  65 

Haskell  has  resided  at  the  South  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  D.  H.  Haskell  is  in  California.  To  the 
latter  individual  Adams  &  Co.  arc  indebted  for  the 
foundation  of  their  present  prosperity. 

The  company,  although  gradually  increasing  its 
business,  and  beginning  to  make  its  mark  in  the  mer- 
cantile community,  did  not  accumulate  anything  to  its 
capital,  as  the  running  expenses  often  exceeded  the 
receipts.  To  any  one  familiar  with  express  business, 
it  is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  that  it  takes  a  host  of 
packages  daily,  at  twenty-five  cents  and  upwards  in 
each  package,  to  pay  office  rent,  the  salary  of  clerks, 
the  board  of  horses,  the  wear  and  tear  of  teams,  har- 
nesses, &c.,  and  the  actual  living,  which  the  proprietors 
must-  have. 

Express  messengers  are  for  the  most  part  a  hard- 
working and  estimable  class,  deserving  encourage- 
ment from  the  public,  and  toleration  for  the  few  faults 
they  commit.  Their  vocation  is  often  a  laborious  and 
difficult  one,  and  the  responsibilities  which  devolve 
upon  them,  and  which  are  seldom  abused,  should  be 
considered  when  they  come  to  be  paid,  and  should 
excuse  a  little  tardiness  or  other  trifling  error.  When 
the  temptation  which  is  constantly  before  them  is  con- 
sidered,  and  the  rareness  with  which  the  messengers 
yield  to  it,  we  see  that  no  other  class  is  more  generally 
honorable,  or  more  deserving  of  commendation. 
5 


66  WAIFS  FROM  THE  WAY-BILLS 

THE  TIDE  OF  FORTUNE  TURNS. 

The  great  event  in  the  history  of  Adams  &  Co.'s 
Express,  which  turned  the  tide  of  fortune  in  their 
favor,  was  the  establishment  of  the  California  Express, 
in  September,  1849.  This  great  enterprise  was 
given  in  charge  of  D.  Hale  Haskell.  He  secured 
a  small  building  at  San  Francisco,  and  at  once  com- 
menced vigorous  operations.  The  enterprise  was  a 
success  from  the  start,  and  the  little  office  was  daily 
thronged  by  an  eager  crowd  of  miners,  armed  with 
their  bags  of  precious  dust,  each  one  anxious  to  be 
the  first  served. 

The  rapidly  increasing  business  soon  demanded 
larger  accommodations,  and  the  small  building  was 
enlarged  to  double  its  former  dimensions.  More  help 
in  the  clerical  department  was  imperatively  demand- 
ed, and  the  force  was  increased  from  time  to  time  by 
able  and  experienced  express  clerks.  Among  them 
were  John  M.  Freeman  and  William  H.  Hall.  Mr. 
Hall  was  formerly  in  the  employ  of  his  brother,  John 
R.  Hall,  Superintendent  of  the  Eastern  Express,  in  Bos- 
ton. He  was  in  the  office  of  Adams  &  Co.,  at  San 
Francisco,  for  several  years,  and  finally,  upon  the  re- 
tirement of  Adams  and  Dinsmore,  in  1854,  with  D.  H. 
Haskell  and  J.  C.  Woods,  assumed  the  proprietorship 
of  the  express,  but  still  retained  the  name  of  Adams 
&  Co.,  which  retention  afterwards,  upon  the  failure  of 
the  new  concern,  involved  Mr.  Adams  in  vexatious  and 
expensive  litigation. 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  67 

The  extensive  operations  of  Adams  &  Co.,  in  con- 
nection with  their  California  Express,  gave  them  u 
notoriety  the  world  over,  adding  to  their  renown  fame 
of  a  profitable  character,  and  solid  pecuniary  results. 
Their  great  success  induced  otherenterprising  express- 
men to  enter  the  promising  field,  and  the  present  well- 
known  firm  of  Wells,  Fargo,  &  Co.  commenced  opera- 
tions. This  concern  has  met  with  some  reverses,  and 
has  suffered  from  many  robberies,  but  has  always 
maintained  its  standing  and  integrity.  The  great 
source  of  the  Adams  Express  Company's  immense 
wealth  was  the  vast  and  profitable  business  during 
the  war. 


G8  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 


CHAPTER  III. 

BUSINESS  DURING  THE  WAR. 

No  person  outside  of  the  express  business  can  con- 
ceive of  the  magnitude  of  the  Adams  Express  Co.'s 
transactions  during  the  war.  On  the  nearest  and 
most  remote  fields  of  our  army's  operations,  the 
agents  and  employees  of  this  great  company  were  ever 
on  the  alert,  venturing  often  where  a  picket  guard 
would  hardly  venture,  collecting  of  the  hardy  soldiers 
moneys,  letters,  lockets,  watches,  and  other  valuables 
for  transmission  to  the  "  loved  ones  at  home."  Upon 
the  paying  off  of  a  regiment,  the  express  agents  gath- 
ered an  immense  harvest  of  these  packages.  But  the 
most  melancholy  duty  devolving  upon  the  agents  and 
messengers  was  the  transmission,  after  an  engage- 
ment, of  the  bodies  of  the  killed  to  their  friends. 
Many  a  painful  scene  has  an  "  old  expressman  "  wit- 
nessed at  the  home  office,  when  the  corpse  of  a  poor 
soldier  has  been  delivered  to  a  weeping  and  heart- 
broken wife,  child,  or  parent. 

Sometimes  a  soldier  on  a  distant,  southern  field  sends 
a  "  confiscated  "  article  of  property  to  his  family  as  a 
trophy  of  war. 


OP  AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  69 

These  trophies  varied  in  bulk  and  value,  from  a 
horse  to  a  poodle  dog  —  from  a  piano-forte  to  ajews- 
harp  !  Many  of  the  soldiers,  particularly  those  from 
the  State  of  Maine,  were  apparently  brought  up  to 
habits  of  rigid  economy,  and  were  exceedingly  careful 
of  their  old  clothes.  After  a  new  fit-out  was  furnished 
a  regiment,  the  ragged,  filthy,  and  worthless  duds 
were  packed  in  boxes  and  sent  home  to  their  fi  iends 
from  sadly  mistaken  motives  of  economy — thousands 
of  these  boxes  constantly  arriving  per  express  to  their 
destination,  often  from  remote  regions  of  the  West 
and  South,  a  large  proportion  of  them  freight  unpaid, 
at  burdensome  charges  to  the  almost  destitute  families. 
Hundreds  and  probably  thousands  of  these  boxes  have 
passed  under  the  inspection  of  the  writer,  with  charges 
varying  from  five  to  twenty-five  dollars  and  upwards, 
the  contents  of  which  were  utterly  worthless  unless 
as  paper  stock.  This  species  of  freight,  although  of 
little  intrinsic  value,  coined  money  for  the  expresses, 
as  full  rates  were  charged  and  exacted. 

The  money-package  portion  of  the  business  proved 
immensely  profitable,  the  risk  being  small,  the  charges 
high,  and  the  number  of  packages  almost  innumerable. 
During  the  war,  the  Adarns  Express  Co.  made  big 
dividends  to  the  stockholders,  and  at  one  period  the 
stock  rose  to  the  enormous  price  of  five  hundred  dol- 
lars per  share  —  the  par  value  being  one  hundred. 
These  were  harvest  days  for  all  the  large  express 
companies  —  days  which  will  ''never  come  again." 


70  WAIFS  FROM  THE  WAY-BILLS 

THE  ADAMS  EXPRESS  COMPANY 

of  to-day  is  a  mammoth  affair  —  growing  great  by  its 
legitimate  growth,  but  continually  swelling  its  huge 
proportions  by  swallowing  its  competitors,  be  they  of 
great  or  small  dimensions.  Into  its  capacious  maw 
have  disappeared  some  dozen  or  more  expresses  noted 
in  their  day  and  generation,  representing  capital  and 
business  to  an  immense  amount.  The  great  moneyed 
resources  of  the  Adams  Express  Co.  make  it  a  formida- 
ble opponent  to  ambitious  competitors,  and  the  solid, 
substantial  character  of  the  company,  ever  able  to 
meet  any  loss  which  it  may  incur,  gives  it  a  power 
and  influence  in  the  business  community  which  a 
weaker  organization  can  never  command. 

The  present  "  Head  Centre  "  of  the  company,  No. 
57  Court  Street,  is  one  of  the  notable  places  of  Boston. 
The  iron  front  building,  which  is  an  ornament  to  Court 
Street,  occupies,  in  part,  the  site  of  the  celebrated 
Brattle  Street  parsonage,  a  building  of  historical  re- 
nown. Alvin  Adams,  Esq.,  the  respected  founder  of 
this  great  company,  can  daily  be  seen  at  his  desk,  his 
energy  unabated  by  the  care  and  toil  of  years,  and  his 
thoughtful  countenance  ever  reflecting  through  genial 
smiles  the  goodness  of  his  heart. 

He  has  a  corps  of  able  workers  in  every  depart- 
ment of  the  extensive  concern.  His  sons,  Waldo  and 
Edwin  Adams,  having  received  a  thorough  express 
education,  are  fully  competent  to  supervise  the  im- 
mense business  daily  transacted ;  and  they  take  a  pro- 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  71 

fessional  pride  in  carrying  out  the  liberal  ideas  of  the 
senior  proprietor.  Messrs.  Lovering,  Dow,  and  War- 
iier  are  valuable  men  in  their  several  departments,  and 
contribute  greatly  by  their  active  exertions  to  facilitate 
the  transactions  of  this  great  and  popular  company. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  present  magnitude  of 
the  Adams  Express  Co.'s  business,  it  will  be  interest- 
ing to  glance  at  the  following  statistics  taken  from  the 
company's  books,  January  1,  1872:  — 

Number  of  men  employed, 3,598 

«  horses, 839 

'  wagons, 633 

"  safes, 1,236 

Number  of  miles  travelled  daily,  .  .  .  55,201 
"  "  yearly,  .  16,118,255 

THE  AMERICAN  EXPRESS  COMPANY. 

The  next  express  in  point  of  magnitude,  but  not  in 
age,  is  the  great  American  Express  Co.  It  was  com- 
menced by  Henry  Wells,  Esq.,  now  its  president. 
Mr.  Wells,  previous  to  embarking  in  the  express  busi- 
ness, was  engaged  at  Albany  in  the  freight  and  pas- 
senger business,  as  a  forwarding  agent.  He  was 
early  distinguished  for  his  great  energy  and  intelli- 
gence. By  his  good  judgment  in  the  selection  of  the 
right  sort  of  men  as  associates  in  his  enterprise,  his 
success  from  the  start  was  an  assured  fact.  His  first 
partners  were  George  Pomeroy  and  Crawford  Living- 
ston, both  men  of  first-class  ability.  William  G.  Fargo, 


72  WAIFS   FROM   THE    WAY-BILLS 

John  Buttcrfield,  and  other  persons  of  acknowledged 
business  talent  were  subsequently  connected  with  the 
company,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  it  became  a 
"  power  in  the  land."  One  of  the  most 

EXTRAORDINARY  ROBBERIES 

ever  recorded  in  the  annals  of  crime  is  associated  with 
the  early  history  of  this  express.  In  September,  1 855, 
the  United  States  receiver  at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  delivered 
the  agent  of  the  American  Express  Co.  at  that  place  two 
small  hard  wood  boxes  purporting  to  contain  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars,  each,  in  gold  coin,  principally 
twenty  dollar  pieces.  The  boxes  were  directed  to  the 
assistant  treasurer,  New  York.  They  were  not  sub- 
jected to  any  detention  on  the  road,  but  were  delivered 
from  one  messenger  to  another  at  different  points,  ap- 
parently in  good  order,  until  they  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  messenger  from  Albany  to  New  York,  when  he 
discovered  on  the  route  that  one  of  the  boxes  had,  to 
all  appearance,  been  tampered  with,  as  the  cover 
was  not  screwed  down  tight.  On  looking  closely,  he 
thought  he  discovered  something  like  lead  inside,  but 
concluded  to  keep  quiet  about  the  matter  until  arriv- 
ing in  New  York.  As  soon  as  possible  after  his 
arrival,  he  placed  the  boxes  upon  the  wagon  in  wait- 
ing, and  rapidly  drove  to  the  assistant  treasurer's 
office.  They  were  immediately  opened,  and  found  to 
contain,  instead  of  the  precious  metal,  bullets  and 
sheet  lead. 

It  was  very  evident  that  the  original  boxes  had  been 


OF   AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  73 

abducted,  and  the  bogus  ones  substituted  somewhere 
on  the  route.  The  boxes  were  of  the  same  size, 
weight,  and  general  appearance  of  those  delivered  by 
tho  receiver  at  Dubuque ;  but  how  they  could  be 
duplicated  in  their  rapid  transit  seemed  an  unfathom- 
able mystery  ;  indeed,  it  has  never  been  explained^ 

4 

The  express  company  were  not  only  astonished,  but 
confounded.  Their  agents  and  messengers  were  men 
of  character  and  of  apparent  integrity.  Their  fidelity 
was  not  questioned;  but  who  were  the  robbers? 
After  several  months  of  unavailing  effort  to  discover 
the  perpetrators  and  their  spoils,  the  company  gave 
up  the  search  as  fruitless,  and  paid  into  the  sub-treas- 
ury the  fifty  thousand  dollars  with  interest. 

Some  months  subsequent  to  this  event,  the  com- 
pany received  information  from  Haverhill,  Mass.,  that 
two  persons  belonging  in  Lowell,  and  known  to  be 
"  soldiers  of  fortune/''  were,  to  the  surprise  of  their 
old  acquaintances,  quite  "flush,"  one  of  them  deposit- 
ing a  large  amount  of  gold  in  the  Haverhill  Bank,  and 
both  purchasing  largely  of  real  estate,  paying  for  the 
same  in  gold.  One  shrewd  individual,  bearing  in 
mind  the  robbery,  and  knowing  that  these  parties 
were  intimately  acquainted  with  Samuel  C.  White, 
the  messenger  of  the  American  Express  Co.  between 
Chicago  and  Detroit,  and  that  they  were  both  in 
Chicago  at  the  date  of  the  robbery,  wrote  to  the  com- 
pany, detailing  these  facts.  Mr.  Wells,  connecting 
them  with  another  suspicious  circumstance,  viz.,  the 
resignation  of  White  a  few  weeks  after  the  robbery, 


74  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

on  a  plea  that  his  salary  was  too  small  for  his  services, 
—  a  statement  rather  inconsistent  with  his  profuse 
expenditure  of  money, —  he  concluded  to  employ  a 
detective  to  work  up  the  case.  The  detective  proved 
more  efficient  than  some  who  have  "  operated "  in 
Boston  and  New  York  of  late,  for  he  succeeded  in 
procuring  evidence,  though  mainly  circumstantial, 
which  was  deemed  so  conclusive  that  the  three  bold 
robbers  were  sentenced  to  a  long  imprisonment  in  the 
State  Prison.  The  company  never  recovered  any  por- 
tion of  their  lost  property. 

SOME  OF  THE  OLD  EXPRESSES. 

Many  of  the  expresses  established  at  the  outset  of 
Harnden's  Express  "  still  live."  One  of  the  oldest, 
Leonard's  Express,  has  been  absorbed  by  the  Adams 
Express  Company.  This  express  was  established  in 
1840,  by  S.  S.  Leonard,  and  was  run  by  himself  and  son, 
Colonel  S.  H.  Leonard,  between  Boston  and  Worces- 
ter, for  many  years.  Mr.  Leonard,  Senior,  has  been 
greatly  afflicted  of  late  years  by  the  failure  of  his  eye- 
sight. He  resides  now  in  Worcester,  possessing  a 
comfortable  competency. 

Colonel  Hatch,  of  the  New  Bedford  Express,  is  an 
"  old  stager."  He  is  a  somewhat  peculiar  individual, 
and  is  rioted  for  his  hatred  of  notoriety ;  but  he  possesses 
the  bump  of  "  goaheadativeriess  "  largely  developed. 
The  colonel  started  his  express  in  1840,  and,  notwith- 
standing considerable  competition,  has  always  ."  held 
his  own."  He  is  shrewd,  as  well  as  original,  and 


OP   AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  75 

possesses  a  gift  of  oratory  which  would  years  ago 
have  given  him  a  prominent  position  as  a  public 
speaker,  had  his  tu*tes  run  in  that  direction. 

Earle  &  Co.'s  Providence  Express  has  also  been 
absorbed  by  the  American  Express  Co.  It  was  com- 
menced in  1840,  by  Ben  D.  &  L.  B.  Earle,  and  for  a  long 
series  of  years  transacted  a  large  business  between 
Boston  and  Providence.  Ben  D.  Earle  died  several 
years  ago,  leaving  a  handsome  property,  amassed  in 
his  well-managed  business. 

Niles  &  Co.'s  Dover  Express  is  an  ancient  institu- 
tion. What  express  or  railroad  man  does  not  know 
"  Uncle  Niles  "  ?  —  one  of  the  veteran  New  Hampshire 
stage  drivers,  and  the  jolliest,  best  natured  man  in  the 
business  ;  which  is  saying  a  great  deal.  "  Uncle  " 
Niles  is  a  joker  of  the  first  water,  and  some  of  his 
stories  are  hard  to  beat.  Happening,  one  day,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Quincy  Market,  his  attention  was  attracted 
by  a  crowd  surrounding  a  huge  canvas-covered  wagon, 
on  which  was  painted,  in  mammoth  letters, "  Great  Curi- 
osity :  Behemoth  hog,  weighing  2000  pounds."  One 
of  the  market  butchers,  noticing  Mr.  Niles,  exclaimed, 
"  Well,  Uncle  Niles,  you  can't  raise  such  pork  in  New 
Hampshire."  "No,"  says -the  veteran  expressman. 
"  We  don't  deal  in  such  small  fry  up  there.  One  of 
my  neighbors  killed  a  '  pig'  last  fall  which  weighed, 
when  dressed,  thirteen  thousand  five  hundred  and 
twenty-five  pounds  nine  ounces  !  His  '  innards,'  were 
made  into  sausages,  which,  when  filled,  were  laid 
down  on  the  highways  by  the  county  commissioners, 


76  WAIFS   PROM    THE   WAY-BILLS 

and  reached  one  way  from  Dover  to  Concord,  and  the 
other  from  Dover  to  Portsmouth,  forming  connecting 
links  between  the  three  places!"  The  butcher 
vamosed. 

Favor's  Eastport  Express  was  at  one  time  a  favorite 
with  the  public.  His  route  was  from  Boston  to  East- 
port  and  Calais.  Maine,  to  St.  John,  N.  B.  Colonel 
Favor  was  an  unmitigated  joker  and  a  good  fellow, 
per  se.  Very  few  passengers  having  occasion  to 
travel  on  the  old  steamer  Admiral,  fifteen  or  twenty 
years  ago,  will  forget  the  colonel  or  his  hospitality. 
His  state-room  was  the  nightly  resort  of  all  the  "  good 
fellows "  on  board,  and  his  bottle  of  "  Hennessy " 
always  honored  the  most  exhaustive  draughts.  What 
though  the  night  was  dark  and  tempestuous,  the 
briny  waves  dashing  fore  and  aft  over  the  stanch 
Admiral,  the  gallant  boat  creaking  and  groaning  under 
the  blows  of  the  mighty  billows — of  what  account 
was  all  this  outside  commotion  to  the  unterrified 
crowd  in  the  colonel's  snug  room  ?  Songs  were 
sung,  stories  told,  and  joviality  reigned  supreme.  On 
those  occasions  Colonel  Favor  was  in  his  element.  A 
good  story  of  the  colonel's  ready  wit  is  related  by  an 
eye  and  ear  witness. 

"  KISSING  GOES  BY  FAVOR." 

This  old  saying  was  nicely  illustrated  one  morning 
on  the  steamboat  wharf  at  Eastport.  The  u  last  bell  " 
of  the  Admiral  had  been  rung,  and  just  as  the  "  gang 
planks"  were  about  being  hauled  in,  the  gallant 


OF   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  77 

colonel  (who  was  always  a  prime  favorite  of  the 
ladies)  was  in  the  act  of  passing  in  his  valise,  when 
his  attention  was  arrested  by  the  arrival  of  a  buxora 
lass,  a  first-rate  specimen  of  rural  beauty,  who  accost- 
ed him  with,  "  Colonel  Favor,  dear  colonel,  I  want  to 
send  a  message  by  you  to  Boston."  No  galvanic 
shock  ever  operated  upon  a  "  subject "  with  greater 
force  than  the  exclamation  u  dear  colonel "  upon  the 
susceptible  expressman. 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you,  my  dear?  "  exclaims  the 
gallant  colonel. 

"  I  want  to  send  a  sweet  kiss  to  Jenny  D ;  how 

shall  I  do  it?  "  replied  the  lass. 

"  Do  it  ?  "  says  the  ardent  expressman  ;  "why,  kissing 
always  goes  by  favor  !  "  and  turning  his  cheek  to  the 
blooming  damsel,  he  received  a  perfect  bouncer.  A 
wag  on  board,  observing  the  proceeding,  quietly 
remarked,  "  Thai  kiss  went  by  a  smack." 

THE  EASTERN  EXPRESS  COMPANY. 

This  successful  company  is  the  only  large  express 
concern  (with  one  exception  —  Cheney  &  Co.)  doing 
business  without  competition,  and  extending  over  an 
extensive  territory,  exclusively  on  their  "  own  hook  '' 
The  business  of  this  express  is  hardly  second  in 
amount  and  importance  to  that  of  the  Adams  Express 
Company.  Their  routes  penetrate  every  portion  of 
the  great  State  of  Maine,  and  extend  through  every 
part  of  the  British  Provinces,  terminating  at  Halifax. 


78  WAIFS   FROM  THE   WAY-BILLS 

They  also  connect  with  the  Grand  Trunk  Road  at 
Portland,  and  share  with  the  British  and  North 
American  Express  Company  the  business  from  and 
beyond  the  Canadas  coming  over  the  Grand  Trunk 
Road.  The  Eastern  Express  Company,  like  many  other 
extensive  corporations,  had  a  very  humble  origin. 

John  R.  Hall,  Esq.,  its  present  superintendent  and 
principal  owner,  is  a  native  of  Greenfield,  Mass.,  and 
came  to  Boston  in  1840  to  act  as  express  clerk  for  his 
uncle,  P.  C.  Hale,  of  Hale  &  Forbes's  Newburyport 
Express,  whose  office  was  located  ill  the  rear  of  Harn- 
den's  office,  No.  8  Court  Street.  Mr.  Hall  is  a  born 
expressman,  and  possesses  a  larger  amount  of  practi- 
cal ability  than  any  other  man  in  his  business.  He  is 
quiet  and  unassuming  in  manner,  but  clear-headed 
and  decisive  in  action.  His  intimate  familiarity  with 
all  the  details  of  express  business,  and  his  daily  per- 
sonal attention  to  its  management,  are  fully  shown  in 
the  success  of  the  Eastern  Express  Company. 

In  1841  or  '2  Mr.  George  S.  Carpenter  commenced 
running  an  express  from  the  Kennebec  River  towns, 
Augusta,  North  Gardiner,  Hallowell,  &c.,  and  secured 
the  services  of  Mr.  Hall  as  his  agent.  Jerome's  Ex- 
press, from  Bangor  and  towns  on  the  Penobscot 
River,  also  employed  Mr.  Hall.  Child  &  Co.'s  Port- 
land Express  was  soon  added  to  his  agency.  The 
accommodations  at  No.  8  began  to  prove  rather  small 
for  the  rapidly  increasing  business,  and  Mr.  HaW 
gladly  improved  the  opportunity  to  secure  more  spa- 
cious and  suitable  accommodations  in  tho  then  new 


OP  AX   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  79 

Museum  Buildings,  Court  Square,  which  wore  leased 
by  Mr.  B.  P.  Cheney,  of  Cheney  &  Co.'s  Express. 

This  was  in  1847.  The  following  year  Mr.  Benja- 
min Longley,  of  Portland,  succeeded  Child  &  Co.,  and 
taking  Mr.  Hall  for  a  partner,  the  express  became 
Longley  <fc  Co.  Mr.  F.  H.  Hodgman,  of  Bangor,  also 
secured  Mr.  Hall  as  partner,  and  subsequently  Mr.  F. 
W.  Carr,  of  Bangor,  and  the  express  became  Hodg- 
man, Carr,  &  Co.  Mr.  Longley  retired  from  the  Port- 
land Express  in  1852,  and  J.  N.  Winslow,  of  Portland, ' 
formed  a  copartnership  with  J.  R.  Hall,  under  the 
style  of  Winslow  &  Co. 

In  1856,  the  three  express  firms  of  Winslow  &  Co., 
Hodgman,  Carr,  &  Co.,  and  Carpenter  &  Co.,  consoli- 
dated under  the  style  of  the  Eastern  Express  Co. 
This  company  has  met  with  great  success,  making 
handsome  fortunes  for  the  proprietors.  The  profits 
of  their  business  during  the  war  were  enormous.  Mr. 
Horace  Shaw  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Eastern 
Express  Co.  for  more  than  twenty  years.  Mr.  James 
F.  Slater,  the  Portland  messenger,  has  also  been  em- 
ployed by  Mr.  Hall  for  more  than  eighteen  years. 
The  company  employs  efficient  men  for  every  depart- 
ment of  the  business,  and  its  affairs  are  managed 
shrewdly  and  successfully. 

The  freight  department  of  the  Eastern  Express  Co. 
is  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  George  F.  Averill,  a 
man  of  marked  ability.  Mr.  Rice,  Mr.  Libby,  and  Mr. 
Rea  are  very  efficient  employees  of  this  prosperous 
company. 


80  WAIFS  FROM  THE  WAY-BILLS 

CHENEY  &  COMPANY. 

This  prosperous  and  well-established  express  com- 
pany, fortunate  in  having,  like  the  Eastern  Express  Co., 
no  competitors  to  divide  the  "  spoils,"  originated  with 
Benjamin  P.  Cheney,  who  commenced  his  career  as  a 
stage  agent  at  the  old  office,  No.  11  Elm  Street,  about 
thirty-five  years  ago.  This  small  brick  building,  which 
stands  "  solitary  and  alone,"  adjoining  the  old  Wildes 
Hotel,  No.  11  Elm  Street,  has  a  history.  It  was  built 
some  forty-five  years  ago,  to  accommodate  the  agents 
of  various  stage  routes  which  centred  in  Elm  Street, 
and  in  its  day  was  a  place  of  popular  resort  for  news, 
<fec.,  equalling,  in  some  characteristics,  the  present 
Mechanics'  Exchange,  corner  of  Wilson's  Lane  and 
State  Street ;  both  institutions  monopolizing  the  ad- 
joining sidewalks  for  their  exhibitions  of  "  chin  music  " 
and  tobacco  squirting. 

Benjamin  P.  Cheney  came  from  New  Hampshire, 
where  he  was  for  many  years  a  popular  stage  driver. 
No  one,  to  look  at  him  as  he  briskly  steps  into  his 
office,  No.  39  Court  Square,  would  imagine  the  dapper 
youthful  looking  individual  the  veteran  that  he  is.  His 
only  equal  for  protracted  and  perennial  youth  is  found 
at  No.  49  Long  wharf,  in  the  person  of  the  renowned 
"  Acorn."  He  (Acorn)  is  indebted  probably  to  the 
preserving  qualities  of  salt  for  his  juvenile  bloom. 
Mr.  Cheney  commenced  business  as  an  expressman 
about  1840,  in  a  rear  room  of  Hardnen's  office,  No.  8 
Court  Street.  By  diligence  and  application,  his  busi- 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN,  81 

ness  increased  so  rapidly  that  his  quarters  were 
transferred,  in  1847,  to  Railroad  Exchange,  Court 
Square.  He  devotes  but  a  small  portion  of  his  time 
to  the  onerous  details  of  office  business,  his  able 
assistants,  Messrs.  Gushing,  Geer,  and  Hawley  assum- 
ing the  superintendence  of  his  large  express  trans- 
actions. 

THE  LATE  FIRM  OF  FISKE  &  COMPANY, 

with  which  Mr.  Cheney  has  long  been  associated,  has 
had  great  success.  The  route  was  established  in  1850 
by  Liberty  Bigelow,  Esq.,  the  present  temporary  and 
accomplished  active  president  of  the  Metropolitan 
Railroad  Co.  Mr.  Bigelow  commenced  on  the  Fitch- 
burg  Road  when  it  opened,  and  ran  the  first  expres  via 
that  road.  Mr.  B.  subsequently  sold  out  to  Phineas 
S.  Fiske  and  H.  F.  Rice.  Mr.  Fiske  was  formerly  in 
the  dry  goods  trade,  as  partner  with  Henry  Poor,  Esq., 
now  in  New  York.  Not  succeeding  in  that  line,  he 
tried  the  express  business  as  an  experiment,  and 
reaped  a  rich  pecuniary  reward.  Mr.  Fiske  was  a 
man  of  splendid  social  qualities,  of  fine  personal  appear- 
ance, and  won  troops  of  friends  by  his  generous  and 
manly  traits  of  character.  His  recent  decease,  in  the 
prime  of  life,  is  universally  regretted.  The  express  is 
now  absorbed  by  Cheney  &  Co.,  and  is  in  every  re- 
spect a  '•  paying  "  institution. 
6 


82  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 


CHAPTER    IV. 
\ 

VARIOUS  EXPRESSES. 

AN  old  expressman  has  given  brief  but  accurate 
accounts  of  all  the  principal  express  companies,  and 
will  finish  the  catalogue  by  noticing  a  few  of  the 
smaller  expresses,  as  a  detailed  notice  of  the  whole 
would  prove  about  as  interesting  to  the  general  read- 
er as  a  perusal  of  the  chapters  of  the  book  of  Gen- 
esis, describing  the  genealogy  of  the  patriarchs, — 
one  express  "begat"  another,  about  as  regularly  as 
the  ancient  worthies  "  begat  "  their  successors.  An 
enormous  business,  in  the  aggregate,  is  transacted  by 
the  almost  innumerable  host  of  smaller  expresses,  and 
the  importance  of  their  operations  to  the  business 
community  can  hardly  be  estimated. 

THE  FIRST  EXPRESSMAN. 

In  the  first  chapter  it  is  stated  that  W.  C.  Gray,  of 
Lowell,  ran  the  first  express  between  that  place  and 
Boston.  Mr.  A.  S.  Tyler,  of  Lowell,  claims  that  his 
father,  Mr.  Silas  Tyler,  ran  an  express  over  that  road 
prior  to  Mr.  Gray.  "  An  Old  Expressman  "  has  taken 
pains  to  investigate  the  claim  of  Mr.  Tyler, 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  83 

and  finds  that,  soou  after  the  opening  of  the  road,  in 
1835,  Mr.  Tyler  ran  a  car  over  the  road,  partly  in  his 
own  and  partly  in  the  interest  of  the  railroad  com- 
pany. This  business  he  disposed  of  in  1836  to  Mr. 
W.  C.  Gray.  Mr.  Tyler  is  still  living  in  Lowell  at  the 
advanced  age  of  seventy-five  years. 

Mr.  Gray  is  still  living  in  Lowell,  but  has  had  no 
connection  with  the  express  business  for  several 
years.  With  the  ordinary  express  business  he  com- 
bined that  of  running  as  bank  messenger  between 
Lowell  and  Boston.  He  also  added  to  the  bank  busi- 
ness, carrying  money  packages  for  firms  and  individ- 
uals, and  forwarding  small  bundles,  <fec.  He  drove 
quite  a  brisk  business  before  the  advent  of  Harnden. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Tuck,  Sargent,  and  others. 
The  express  business  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the 
Lowell  and  Nashua  Railroad,  who  employ  Penniman, 
Colonel  Jones,  and  others  to  supervise  and  manage. 

Jackson  and  Akerman,  of  the  Portsmouth  Express, 
are  old  stagers ;  Jackson  has  run  on  the  Portsmouth 
route  for  nearly  thirty  years.  Eben  Page  has  made 
his  daily  trips  between  Boston  and  Gloucester  for  the 
same  length  of  time.  Both  these  expressmen  were 
stage  drivers  of  "  ye  olden  time." 

HUMORS  OP  EXPRESSMEN. 

It  is  doubtful  if  a  more  genial,  humorous,  or  ready- 
witted  set  of  men  can  be  "  scared  up"  in  any  depart- 
ment of  business  than  among  the  proprietors'  messen- 
gers and  drivers  of  expresses.  The  nature  of  their 


84  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

business  brings  them  into  contact  with  everything 
and  everybody,  and  they  are  usually  very  apt  pupils, 
always  ready  to  pick  up  anything  new,  especially  if 
it  partakes  of  a  ludicrous  character.  Practical  jokes 
are  not  uncommon,  and  are  generally  appreciated,  no 
matter  on  what  side  the  "  laugh  comes  in." 

An  express  agent  at  Portland,  Me.,  a  man  of  quiet 
and  grave  demeanor,  noted  for  his  love  of  singing 
birds,  was,  one  evening,  upon  the  arrival  of  the  ex- 
press from  Boston,  somewhat  surprised  and  gratified 
to  receive  a  note  from  the  Boston  agent,  informing 
him  that  on  the  previous  day,  whilst  visiting  an  emi- 
grant ship  at  Lewis's  Wharf,  he  had  purchased  for  a 
mere  trifle  a  couple  of  magnificent  singing  birds,  and 
having  no  accommodations  for  them  at  his  boarding- 
house,  had  concluded  to  make  his  old  friend  a  present 
of  the  rare  songsters,  in  return  for  many  past  favors. 
Accompanying  the  note  was  a  large  cage,  carefully 
enveloped  in  wrapping  paper,  perforated  by  numerous 
air  holes.  The  cage  bore  a  card  marked  in  legible 
characters,  "  Irish  Linnet.; ;  with  great  care." 

The  Portland  agent,  highly  delighted,  hurried 
through  with  his  evening  duties,  and  carefully  taking 
up  the  cage,  with  its  precious  contents,  started  for  the 
"  bosom  of  his  family."  Arriving  at  his  house,  he  soon 
notified  the  household  of  his  good  fortune,  and  assem- 
bling the  members  in  the  parlor,  he  proceeded  care- 
fully to  remove  the  wrappers,  disclosing  to  view,  to 
the  amazement  of  wife  and  children,  and  horror  of 
Bridget,  a  cage  of  bullfrogs  !  "  Irish  linnets,"  indeed  ! 


OP  AX  OLD  EXPRESSMAN.  85 

ANOTHER  EXPRESS  AND  RAILROAD  VETERAN. 

Major  Jones,  the  enterprising  and  genial  agent  of 
the  Nashua  and  Lowell  Railroad  Express  Company,  lias 
had  a  long  f  nd  varied  experience  of  "riding  on  a 
rail."  The  major  commenced  operations  as  an  opera- 
tive on  the  Lowell  Road  when  it  was  litid  out,  in  1833, 
and  made  himself  "  generally  useful  "  in  a  variety  of 
capacities.  He  ran  the  first  train  between  Lowell 
and  Nashua,  and  has  nearly  ever  since  daily  travelled 
over  the  two  roads.  Railroading  evidently  agrees 
with  the  major,  as  he  pulls  down  the  scales  at  three 
hundred  avoirdupois,  always  has  the  appetite  and  ca- 
pacity for  a  good  "  square  meal,"  and  is  ever  ready  to 
greet  his  friends  and  patrons  with  a  good  old-fashioned 
shake  of  the  hand  and  a  pleasant  word.  Major  Jones 
and  '•  Uncle  Niles,"  both  veterans,  run  from  the  same 
offices,  and  are  both  jolly  specimens  of  the  veteran 
expressmen. 

THE  IRISHMAN  AND  BULL  DOG. 

"Uncle  Niles"  tells  the  story  of  an  Irishman  taking 
the  train  at  Dover,  N.  H.,  for  Boston,  having  for  a 
companion  a  huge  bull  dog.  There  was  no  room  for 
the  ugly  brute  in  any  of  the  passenger  cars,  and  the 
baggage  master  positively  refused  admission  to  the 
animal  in  the  baggage  car.  In  this  dilemma  the  Irish- 
man accepted  the  proposition  of  the  conductor,  who 
was  something  of  a  wag,  that  the  dog  be  fastened  to 
the  rear  car  by  means  of  a  rope  around  his  neck,  and 


86  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

made  to  "  work  his  passage."  Patrick  thought  it 
would  be  an  aisy  way  to  get  the  dog  along ;  so  a  rope 
was  procured,  fastened  around  the  neck  of  the  brute 
just  behind  the  ears,  and  hitched  to  the  rear  plat- 
form. Pat,  satisfied  that  he  had  done  a  "  big  thing," 
retired  to  the  smoking  car,  lighted  his  "  dudheen,"  and 
did  not  leave  his  seat  until  the  train,  which  was  an  ex- 
s  press  train,  had  accomplished  some  twenty  miles.  Pass- 
.  ing  out  of  the  rear  car,  he  gave  a  loud  whistle,  expecting 
an  immediate  response  from  the  "  dorg."  No  answer- 
ing whine,  bark,  or  growl  was  heard  in  reply,  and  Pat, 
apprehending  some  calamity,  cast  his  "wishful  eye" 
over  the  platform  only  to  behold  the  distorted  fea- 
tures of  his  canine  friend  bobbing  up  and  down  in  a 
most  unaccountable  manner.  Upon  investigation  it 
was  found  that  the  legs  of  the  "  dorg  "  had  failed  in 
the  early  part  of  the  way  to  "  do  their  duty,"  and,  as 
a  consequence,  his  body,  legs,  and  tail  had,  by  friction 
with  the  rough,  frozen  earth,  over  which  he  had  been 
so  rapidly  hurried,  worn  off  to  just  behind  his  ears, 
leaving  his  ugly  tl  mug "  dangling  in  the  air  to  the 
great  astonishment  of  poor  Pat. 

AN  ECCENTRIC  EXPRESSMAN 

was  little  Ross,  who  for  a  number  of  years  ran  an  ex- 
press between  Worcester  and  Providence.  His  labels 
and  bill-heads  always  read,  "Ross;  xpress  over  the 
beautiful  Providence  and  Worcester  Road."  Ross  was 
a  queer-looking  little  fellow,  about  four  feet  ten  in 
height,  and  weighing  about  one  hundred  pounds  or 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  87 

less.  He  was  scrupulously  ncnt  in  his  dress,  but  the 
style  of  his  garments  was  unique  and  original,  re- 
markably so.  He  delighted  in  violent  contrast  in  his 
choice  of  colors,  often  appearing  in  a  black  swallow- 
tail coat  with  crimson  velvet  collar,  a  vest  of  blue 
plush,  pants  of  a  "  stunning  "  plaid,  boots  turning  up 
in  front  like  Dutch  skates,  with  peaked  toes,  and  a 
funny  little  peaked  hat.  His  countenance  well  matched 
with  his  eccentric  costume,  and  his  little  twinkling 
gray  eyes  were  full  of  merriment.  He  was,  in  fact, 
what  the  "  Bowery  boys "  would  call  a  "  gay  little 
rooster."  His  dwelling-house  was  in  keeping  with  his 
outfit  in  other  respects.  It  was  so  constructed  that 
the  doors,  instead  of  opening  as  usual,  dropped  down 
in  grooves,  and  disappeared  beneath  the  feet  of  the 
person  entering.  The  ceiling  was  carpeted  instead 
of  the  floor,  and  the  furniture  was  of  unique  and  origi- 
nal construction,  combining  features  more  novel  than 
useful.  Ross  was  very  diligent  in  business,  prompt, 
attentive,  and  faithful,  and  as  conspicuous  for  enter- 
prise as  for  originality. 

THE  MAN  THAT  WAS  SLEWED. 

Eben  Cain,  the  veteran  driver  of  Harnden's  Ex- 
press, has  been  an  express  driver  for  more  than  twen- 
ty years.  Ebeu  is  not  only  active  and  capable,  but  is 
a  "fellow  of  infinite  jest."  One  morning  which  suc- 
ceeded a  night  of  hilarity,  —  the  occasion  being  the 
annual  expressmen's  sleigh  ride,  —  he  was  accosted 


00  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

by  a  fellow  driver  with,  "  Cain,  were  you  the  man 
that  slew  Abel  ?  " 

"  No,"  says  Eben :  "  I  was  the  man  that  was 
slewed ! " 

ONE  OF  UNCLE  SAM'S  BLUNDERS. 

"  An  Old  Expressman "  well  remembers  the  ludi- 
crous results  of  a  blunder  made  by  a  clerk  in  one  of 
the  government  departments  at  Washington,  in  direct- 
ing a  valuable  box  of  books.  The  box  contained  sev- 
eral hundred  volumes  of  scientific  works,  and  was  de- 
signed for  Harvard  University,  but  was  marked  by 
some  blundering  employee,  "  For  the  Cambridge 
Lyceum,  Cambridge,  Me."  The  valuable  box  was 
delivered  to  the  Eastern  Express  Company,  to  forward 
to  destination.  As  Cambridge,  Me.,  is  an  obscure 
village  in  the  interior  of  the  state,  and  only  accessible 
by  a  stage  route  from  the  nearest  railroad  point,  a 
reasonable  doubt  was  expressed  by  the  agent  of  the 
Eastern  line  as  to  the  correctness  of  the  direction. 
However,  it  was  decided  to  "  obey  orders  if  you 
break  owners,"  and  the  heavy  box  was  started.  The 
express  messenger  who  accompanied  it  over  the  rail- 
road, and  the  astonished  stage  driver  who  laboriously 
"toted"  it  over  a  rough  road,  some  twenty  miles, 
more  or  less,  both  entertained  grave  doubts  respect- 
ing its  destination,  but  it  was  their  business  to  deliver 
it  as  marked. 

It  arrived  late  in  the  evening,  and  was  left  at  the 
village  tavern  over  night.  The  next  morning  the 


OP   AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  89 

quiet  village  of  Cambridge  was  in  a  state  of  commo- 
tion wonderful  to  witness.  A  crowd  of  gaping  rustics 
surrounded  the  mysterious  box,  and  various  were  the 
surmises  as  to  its  contents.  A  committee  was  chosen, 
consisting  of  the  minister,  lawyer,  storekeeper,  justice 
of  the  peace,  fence-viewer,  and  hog-reeve,  to  decide 
where  it  came  from  and  to  whom  it  belonged.  The 
ancient  inscription  on  the  Dighton  Rock  never  puzzled 
the  learned  savants  as  did  the  simple  direction  on  this 
unlooked-for  arrival.  The  "first  men  "  of  the  place,after 
a  critical  examination  of  the  collection  of  splendidly 
bound  volumes  with  which  the  box  was  filled,  retired 
for  serious  deliberation,  and  finally  decided  to  call  a 
public  meeting,  and  if  possible  solve  the  momentous 
mystery.  The  next  evening  witnessed  a  miscella- 
neous crowd,  composed  of  men,  women,  and  children, 
in  the  hall  over  the  tavern.  Deacon  S.,  Squire  B., 
and  General  F.  ventilated  their  rustic  elocution,  and 
offered  many  shrewd  suggestions,  but  nothing  said  or 
done  served  to  explain  why  Uncle  Sam  indulged  in 
such  an  ebullition  of  generosity  as  donating  to  the  vil- 
lage of  Cambridge  so  valuable  a  collection  of  books. 

The  difficulty  of  knowing  what  to  do  in  such  an 
emergency  was  at  last  happily  solved  by  the  district 
schoolmaster,  who  suggested  that  the  munificent  do- 
nation was  intended  for  the  Cambridge  Debating  Club, 
an  association  of  embryo  orators,  formed  for  the  pur- 
pose of  mutual  improvement  in  u  chin  music."  As  the 
young  men  composing  the  club  represented  every 
family  in  the  thinly  settled  but  extensive  district,  the 


90  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

elaborately  bound  volumes  were  soon  distributed  far 
und  wide,  adorning  every  mantel-piece  and  book-shelf 
for  miles  around. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Cambridge  Lyceum,  not  re- 
ceiving their  box  of  books  as  advised,  sent  to  the 
department  at  Washington  to  learn  why  the  delay. 
Adams's  Express  Company  was  consulted,  and  they 
returned  word,  "  Delivered  according  to  directions." 
The  result  was  a  "difference  of  opinion"  between 
the  Department  and  the  Adams  Express  Company, 
which  was  only  settled  by  the  express  company  send- 
ing a  special  messenger  to  Cambridge,  Me.,  who  re- 
turned bearing,  triumphantly,  the  cover  of  the  box 
with  the  original  direction  as  issued  from  the  Depart- 
ment at  Washington,  the  express  company  thus  gain- 
ing their  case  by  exhibiting  the  cover  of  the  same. 
The  Department  lost  the  case  of  books,  but  the  inhab- 
itants of  Cambridge,  Me.,  have  greatly  added  to  their 
stock  of  ornamental  literature. 

CURIOUS  FOOD  FOB  AN  INVALID. 

Gushing,  the  genial  and  efficient  agent  of  Cheney 
&  Co.'s  Express,  says  he  received  an  order  from  a 
Vermont  agent  to  procure  and  forward  immediately, 
for  a  very  sick  lady,  the  best  and  largest  lobster  to  be 
procured  in  the  Boston  market.  She  could  eat  "  noth- 
ing else  "  ! 


OP  AN  OLD  EXPRESSMAN.  91 

ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BOAR. 

Bores  are  a  tormenting  nuisance  everywhere,  but 
they  are  particularly  annoying  to  the  busy  employers 
and  clerks  of  express  offices,  where,  at  certain  hours 
of  the  day,  every  moment  is  precious.  The  railroad 
train  or  the  steamboat  never  waits  for  delinquent  ex- 
pressmen ;  consequently  the  express  office  proves  an 
inhospitable  retreat  for  loafers  or  bores,  who  find  no 
willing  listeners  to  their  gossiping  twaddle.  The  bore 
to  which  we  now  refer  was  a  boar  of  another  species 
—  a  member  of  the  porcine  family  —  shipped  by  some 
farmer  in  New  York  State  by  the  American  Express 
Company,  and  consigned  to  a  party  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Boston.  The  day  on  which  his  boarship  ar- 
rived in  Boston  had  been  fearfully  hot,  and  the  poor 
brute,  after  twenty  hours'  confinement  in  a  close  car, 
without  food  or  water,  had  become  frantic  from  the 
effects  of  his  prolonged  misery,  so  that  when  the 
strong  box  which  confined  him  had  been  lifted  upon 
the  wagon  to  be  transported  to  the  office,  his  howls  of 
rage  could  be  heard  all  about  the  vicinity  of  the  depot, 
attracting  in  a  few  moments  a  large  crowd  of  curious 
individuals.  The  infuriated  brute  now  made  desper- 
ate attempts  to  break  out  of  his  box,  to  prevent  which 
three  stout  drivers  protested  with  their  united 
strength.  Their  efforts  were,  however,  unavailing, 
for  the  powerful  anim:il  by  a  frantic  effort  burst  the 
strong  slats  of  his  prison-house,  and  jumped  over  the 
Bide  of  the  wagon  directly  into  the  midst  of  the 


02  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

crowd.  Such  a  speedy  adjournment  of  a  mass  meeting 
was  never  before  witnessed  in  the  goodly  city  of 
Boston.  A  "  scrub  race  "  for  the  nearest  doorways 
instantly  took  place ;  not  one  "  stood  upon  the  order 
of  his  going,"  but  went  at  once.  A  loud  cry  of, 
"  Grizzly  Bear  !  Grizzly  Bear  !  "  from  one  of  the  wag- 
gish expressmen  added  to  the  general  terror,  and  very 
much  to  the  speed  of  the  flying  fugitives,  who  mo- 
mentarily expected  a  fraternal  hug  from  the  bristling 
monster.  The  boar,  however,  had  other  objects  in 
view  than  the  destruction  of  terrified  men  and  boys. 
Water,  and  plenty  of  it,  was  uppermost  in  his  thoughts, 
for,  espying  a  large  mud  puddle,  he  "went  for  it," 
and  was  soon  rolling  over  in  the  dirty  fluid,  a  happier 
if  not  a  cleaner  hog.  The  expressmen  now  compre- 
hending the  situation,  and  understanding  what  should 
have  occurred  to  them  before,  that  the  beast  was  only 
suffering  from  heat  and  thirst,  quickly  procured  sev- 
eral buckets  of  water,  and  dashing  them  over  him,  soon 
reduced  his  fearful  howls,  so  that  he  "  roared  as 
gently  "  as  a  "  sucking  dove,"  and  submitted  to  be 
driven  again  into  his  box,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of 
all  parties  concerned. 

THE  BOY  IN  THE  Box. 

Mr.  A.  L.  Stimson,  a  genial  writer  and  first-rate  fel- 
low, once  in  the  employ  of  the  Adams  Express  Com- 
pany, is  the  author  of  the  following  good  story:  — 

"  In  an  express  office  not  more  than  three  hundred 
miles  from  Boston,  the  watchman  who  slept  in  the 


OF   AX   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  93 

building  was  advised  that  sundry  articles  of  an  eat- 
able nature  had  been  abstracted  from  the  cellar.  It 
was  supposed  that  some  juvenile  thief  was  in  the 
custom  of  crawling  through  the  bars  in  one  of  the 
cellar  windows,  though  the  space  was  so  narrow  that 
it  seemed  incredible  that  any  but  a  very  small  child 
could  get  through  it ;  still,  with  all  his  vigilance,  the 
watchman  found  that  the  depredations  were  contin- 
ued. To  add  to  his  aggravation,  the  express  clerks 
and  drivers  insisted  that  he  must  be  in  the  habit  of 
sleeping  with  a  "  brick  in  his  hat,"  and  others  insinu- 
ated that  he  never  went  to  sleep  hungry.  One  night, 
as  he  sat  alone  in  the  office,  meditating  somewhat  im- 
patiently upon  these  unjust  suspicious,  he  thought  he 
heard  a  footfall  on  the  cellar  stairs.  Quicker  than 
you  can  say  "  Jack  Robinson"  he  reached  the  stair- 
way!  He  had  forgotten  to  take  a  light,  and  could 
see  nothing,  but  heard  footsteps  retreat  precipitately. 
It  was  not  a  heavy  sound,  and  it  must  be,  he  thought, 
the  suspected  boy.  Obtaining  his  lantern  quickly,  he 
descended  the  stairs  lickerty  split,  and  rushed  to  the 
window  to  prevent  the  young  rascal's  exit  in  that  di- 
rection. There  was  a  sound  at  the  other  end  of  the 
cellar,  as  if  some  rogue  was  seeking  to  screen  himself 
behind  some  of  the  casks,  barrels,  boxes,  and  other 
freight  in  transitu.  In  a  high  state  of  virtuous  indig- 
nation and  nervous  excitement,  the  watchman  pro- 
ceeded to  get  at  him.  In  a  few  moments  he  discov- 
ered a  corner  of  a  garment  sticking  out  of  a  long, 
nurrow  box,  a  few  feet  distant.  Putting  down  his 


94  WAIFS   PBOM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

lantern,  he  jerked  away  the  loose  cover,  and  discov- 
ered what  he  supposed  by  the  dim  light  to  be  the  boy 
in  the  box!  Madder  than  sixty,  he  dennnciated  a 
curse  upon  his  eyes,  and  pitched  into  him.  Whack ! 
whack  !  whack  !  one  blow  followed  another ;  the  exas- 
perated watchman  meanwhile  doing  up  some  of  the 
tallest  kind  of  profanity,  mingled  with  such  remarks 
as  the  following :  — 

" '  You  d —  thief  you  !  I'll  learn  you  to  slip  in  and 
steal  our  crackers  !  This  ain't  the  first  time,  nor  the 
second,  nuther !  I  know  yer,  yer  little  whelp  of 
Satan !  I  know  yer  features !  I  know  yer  mother, 
yer  little  Irish  son  of  a  slut !  Bring  an  honest  fellow 
into  disgrace,  will  yer?'  —  the  last  reflection  stinging 
him  with  the  remembrance  of  the  slurs  which  had  been 
cast  upon  his  fidelity,  even  by  the  greenest  hand  in 
the  office,  on  the  score  of  the  abstracted  crackers. 
The  enraged  watchman  quit  thumping  the  'thief  in 
the  stomach,  and  struck  him  on  the  head.  His  fist 
sunk  into  the  skull  under  the  force  of  the  blow,  and 
there  was  a  crackling  sound,  like  the  breaking  of  a 
bone.  At  this  the  watchman's  fury  evaporated  in- 
stantaneously, and  his  heart  sank  within  him. 

" '  Little  boy  ! '  said  he,  in  a  tremulous,  anxious  voice. 
'  Little  boy  1 '  There  was  no  reply,  and  he  turned  pale 
as  death  as  the  truth  flashed  upon  him  that  life  was 
extinct.  Almost  ready  to  expire  himself  with  the 
dreadful  reflection  that  he  was  a  murderer,  he  stag- 
gered backwards,  —  very  weak  in  the  knees,  —  and 
obtaining  his  lantern,  went  back,  sick  at  heart,  to  take 


OP   AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  95 

a  better  view  of  his  victim.  Unfortunately,  in  his 
trepidation  he  tripped  up  over  a  bundle  of  Harper's 
Weekly,  and  in  his  fall  his  light  was  extinguished. 
Horribly  discomfited,  and  groaning  in  spirit  as  he 
wiped  the  cold  sweat  from  his  brow,  the  poor  man 
picked  himself  up,  and  groped  his  way  up  stairs, 
where  the  gas  was  burning.  His  first  impulse  was  to 
run  away ;  but  being  an  honest,  law-abiding  citizen, 
he  promptly  decided  to  face  the  music.  After  many 
painful  reflections,  not  to  say  conflicting  emotions,  he 
concluded  to  give  himself  up  immediately  to  the 
authorities. 

"  Before  executing  this  intention,  he  went  to  a  desk, 
and  taking  from  it  a  bottle  of  Schiedam  Schnapps,  ap- 
plied it  to  his  mouth,  and  turned  the  bottom  up  sol- 
emnly towards  the  ceiling,  then  replaced  the  cork, 
and  sighed  deeply  as  he  put  the  bottle  into  the  desk 
again.  He  then  proceeded  to  the  nearest  police  sta- 
tion. It  was  near  two  in  the  morning,  but  the  captain 
was  on  hand. 

4< '  What  are  you  here  for,  Mr.  Lodge,  at  this  time 
o'  night? '  said  he,  with  a  yawn.  '  What's  broke ?  ' 

"  '  Ah,  that's  it  1 '  replied  our  pale  friend ;  '  it  is 
broke.  I  have  fractured  the  skull ;  there's  no  doubt 
of  it ;  would  that  there  was.' 

"  '  What ! '  ejaculated  the  amazed  officer  ;  '  do  yon 
mean  to  say  that  — ' 

" '  Yes,  sir,  that's  it.  I've  gone  and  done  a  murder, 
and  I've  come  to  give  myself  up.'  He  then  related 
how  he  had  unintentionally,  by  an  unfortunate  blow, 


96  WAIFS   FEOM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

deprived  the  robber  of  life.  l  But  come  with  me/  said 
he,  in  conclusion,  'and  I  will  show  you  all.' 

"  The  officer  followed  him,  and  entering  the  express 
office,  they  descended  with  a  brace  of  lanterns  to  wit- 
ness the  bloody  spectacle.  Imagine  their  surprise,  and 
the  mingled  joy  and  shame  of  our  friend,  on  discover- 
ing the  boy  in  the  box  to  be  only  the  wax  figure  of  a 
saint,  intended  for  a  church  or  convent  in  Louisiana. 
Being  a  new  importation,  it  had  been  opened  by  cus- 
tom-house officers,  and  had  not  been  nailed  up  again. 
The  footfall  was  probably  caused  by  a  big  rat. 

"'  Say  nothing  about  this  ridiculous  affair,  captain,' 
said  the  sold,  when  the  other  had  done  laughing, '  and 
I  will  stand  a  bottle  of  champagne  and  a  pair  of 
canvas-backs  with  you  to-morrow  at  Parker's.' 

"  '  Agreed,'  replied  the  officer ;  and  he  kept  the  secret 
faithfully  from  all  —  but  his  wife" 

A  TRAGICAL  AFFAIR. — VITALITY  OF  AN  EXPRESSMAN. 

One  of  the  most  audacious  robberies  perpetrated 
under  circumstances  of  fiendish  brutality  that  ever 
occurred  in  this  country,  took  place  in  Albany,  N.  Y., 
on  the  night  of  January  6, 1871.  The  frightful  nature 
of  the  assault,  the  amount  of  property  taken,  and  the 
startling  boldness  of  the  act,  caused  at  the  time  a  vast 
amount  of  excitement  at  Albany,  where  all  the  parties 
were  extensively  known.  On  that  night  Mr.  T.  A. 
Halpine,  the  trusty  messenger  of  the  American  Union 
Express  Company,  left  the  office  as  usual,  and  stepped 
on  board  the  express  car  for  his  nightly  trip  through  to 


OP   AN  OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  97 

Boston.  In  a  few  moments  the  train  started,  and  Mr. 
Halpine  was  assaulted  and  robbed,  whilst  the  train 
was  moving  over  the  bridge.  The  particulars  of  the 
affair  are  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Halpine,  who  kindly  fur- 
nished them  to  the  author  of  this  volume.  He  is  now 
the  agent  of  the  American  Merchants  Union  Express 
Company,  at  North  Adams,  Mass.,  active,  and  in  the 
enjoyment  of  sound  health,  after  receiving  injuries,  on 
that  fearful  occasion,  which  would  have  instantly  killed 
a  person  possessing  less  vitality  and  tenacity  of  life. 

The  robber  and  would-be  murderer,  who  committed 
this  daring  act,  was  John  Filkins.  well  known  in 
Albany,  and  upon  the  Western  Railroad  as  "  Yank  " 
Filkins.  He  was  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  employ 
of  the  American  Express  Company,  and  was  considered 
a  first-rate  expressman  —  active,  energetic,  and  relia- 
ble. He  left  the  express  business  several  years  ago, 
and  purchased  an  interest  in  a  bakery,  which  establish- 
ment he  carried  on,  but  with  indifferent  success,  at  the 
period  of  this  robbery.  His  character  was  reputed 
good,  and  he  was  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the 
Methodist  church.  He  had  previous  to  this  occurrence 
experienced  considerable  pecuniary  embarrassment, 
which,  as  afterwards  found,  was  caused  by  gambling 
habits.  That  he  possessed  a  disposition  of  fiendish  cru- 
elty, his  cold-blooded  and  persistent  attempts  to  murder 
a  defenceless  man  fully  proves.  Can  anything  more  hor- 
rible be  imagined  than  the  frightful  coolness  with  which; 
as  his  helpless,  speechless,  but  still  conscious  victim  lay 
cu  the  floor  of  the  car  with  upturned,  imploring  face, 
7 


98  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

he  placed  the  muzzle  of  his  pistol  against  poor  Hal. 
pine's  ear,  and  fired  another  ball  into  his  head. 

He  was  discovered  by  his  pistol,  which  was  found 
the  following  day  upon  the  ice  of  the  river,  on  which 
he  crossed  after  the  robbery,  although  this  clew  was 
not  unravelled  for  some  weeks  afterwards.  His  sud- 
denly manifested  zeal  in  volunteering  to  hunt  up 
the  robber,  and  his  numerous  suggestions  volunta- 
rily made  to  the  officers  as  to  the  probable  offender, 
aroused  suspicions  in  the  minds  of  the  detectives,  which 
were  confirmed  when  they  ascertained  that  he  had 
purchased  a  pistol  several  days  previous  to  this  event, 
and  his  arrest  and  subsequent  conviction  rapidly  fol- 
lowed. Sing-Sing  now  claims  him  for  a  life  inhabitant. 

We  will  now  give  Mr.  Halpine's  account  of  the 
affair :  — 

"  On  the  evening  of  January  6,  1871,  I  went  to  the 
office  and  made  my  preparations  for  my  usual  trip. 
It  was  a  clear,  bright,  moonlight  night,  and  I  was 
feeling  unusually  cheerful  and  happy,  as  this  was  the 
last  trip  in  the  week,  and  the  next  was  my  week  off. 
My  wife  and  myself  had  promised  ourselves  several 
little  pleasure  trips  during  the  coming  week,  and  as  I 
left  home  that  night,  I  said  to  her,  "  This  is  my  last 
trip,  you  know  ;  "  —  little  dreaming  what  was  in  store 
for  me. 

"When  I  got  into  my  car,  I  found  the  stove  was 
smoking ;  so  I  opened  both  doors  to  let  out  the  smoke, 
and  they  remained  open  for  several  minutes.  Just  as 
the  train  started  from  the  depot,  I  heard  a  noise,  and 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  99 

looking  up,  discovered  a  man  coming  into  my  car 
He  said  '  Hallo  !  is  that  you  ?  '  At  first  I  thought  it 
was  Woodward,  the  other  messenger  on  the  route, 
and  I  inquired,  '  Where  are  you  going,  Woodward?' 
He  replied, '  O,  just  across  the  river.'  I  had  not  taken 
a  look  at  him  until  this  reply,  but  the  unfamiliar  tone 
of  his  voice  caused  me  to  look  up  again,  when  I  saw 
he  was  a  stranger.  Upon  this  I  said,  '  I  do  not  know 
you.  I  never  saw  you  before.  What  is  your  name  ?  ' 
'Jones,'  said  he,  'and  I  have  run  a  great  many  trips 
for  this  company.'  Then  he  inquired, '  Where  do  you 
make  your  first  stop?  '  1  told  him  East  Albany.  He 
remarked,  '  You  put  off  freight  first  at  Chatham  ? ' 
'  No,'  said  I, '  at  Pittsfield.' 

"  Thinking  he  was  an  old  expressman,  and  a  friend  of 
Woodward's  only  going  across  the  river,  and  without 
the  remotest  idea  that  anything  was  wrong  about  him,  I 
turned  my  head  and  commenced  looking  over  my  way- 
bill, when  bang !  went  a  pistol,  and  down  I  went.  In 
an  instant  1  knew  what '  Jones  '  was,  but  it  was  too 
late.  I  was  down,  and  the  blood  spouting  from  my 
mouth.  My  thoughts  flew  rapidly,  and  I  knew  that 
in  a  few  moments  we  should  be  in  at  the  other  depot, 
and  I  thought  if  I  could  get  hold  of  him,  I  could  hold 
on  until  we  got  there.  I  arose  on  my  knees,  and  look- 
ing up  saw  he  was  standing  right  over  me  with  his 
pistol  pointed  at  my  head.  Instantly  I  saw  the  flash, 
heard  the  report,  and  down  I  went  again.  While 
lying  on  my  back,  he  stooped  over,  and  placing  the 
muzzle  of  the  pistol  close  to  my  car,  fired  again. 


100  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

Tliat  fixed  me,  and  I  was  unconscious  for  a  few  min- 
utes. When  I  came  to,  the  train  was  standing  still. 
By  a  tremendous  effort,  I  got  upon  my  feet,  walked 
to  the  centre  of  the  car,  and  seized  the  bell  rope, 
thinking  to  ring  the  bell  on  the  engine,  and  attract 
attention ;  but  I  had  not  sufficient  strength,  and  fell  to 
the  floor.  I,  however,  managed  to  crawl  to  the  door, 
which  'Jones'  had  left  open  when  he  jumped  out. 

"  I  tried  to  hallo,  but  could  not.  Just  then  Mr. 
Crandall,  the  engineer,  was  getting  upon  his  engine, 
and  looking  back  saw  my  head  come  out  of  the  door. 
He  immediately  came  back  to  see  what  was  the  mat- 
ter, and  found  me  lying  insensible.  I  knew  that  I 
had  been  shot  three  times  in  the  head,  and  the  last 
shot  I  thought  had  blown  my  head  all  to  pieces ;  the 
remembrance  of  it  is  horrible.  The  first  shot  entered 
on  the  right  side,  about  three  inches  below  the  ear, 
and  middle  of  my  neck.  It  passed  through,  and 
lodged  under  the  left  jaw-bone.  The  second  shot 
entered  my  head  just  under  my  right  eye,  and  has  not 
been  seen  since.  The  third  shot  entered  my  right 
ear,  and  is  still  lodged  somewhere  in  my  head." 

When  Filkins  was  brought  by  the  officers  beside 
the  supposed  death-bed  of  Halpine,  to  receive  his 
dying  deposition  as  to  the  identity  of  the  murderer, 
he  assumed  an  air  of  brazen  effrontery,  and  confronted 
the  victim  with  a  very  confident  manner ;  but  when 
Halpine  cast  his  eye  upon  the  six  men  who  were 
ranged  before  his  bed,  he  instantly  recognized  him, 
and  pointing,  exclaimed,  with  emphasis,  "  That  is  the 


OP    AN   OLD    rxriJKSRMAN.  101 

man!"  FilkioB  wilted  at  once,  and  was  takon  away 
by  the  officers  in  a  very  demoralized  condition.  The 
express  company  only  recovered  a  portion  of  the 
money  stolen  on  this  occasion. 

THE  "  OLD  LToss  "  DEPARTMENT. 

Every  extensive  express  company  devotes  a  por- 
tion of  its  office  to  uncalled-for  freight  and  packages. 
This  is  not  the  least  interesting  department  of  an 
express  office,  for  here  is  found  a  miscellaneous  collec- 
tion of  articles  sufficient  to  stock  an  "  old  curiosity 
shop."  Sometimes  the  character  of  this  freight  is 
very  peculiar,  to  say  the  least.  In  one  office  a  new 
employee,  who  slept  in  a  room  adjoining  the  "old 
boss  "  freight  room,  made  complaint  the  next  day,  that 
his  sleep  was  disturbed  by  unpleasant  dreams  of 
defunct  individuals,  whose  grinning  skeletons  seemed 
to  hold  ghostly  vigils  in  the  "  old  boss  "  room,  and 
that  he  heard  noises  resembling  the  rattling  of  dry 
bones,  in  the  dull  hours  of  night.  This  complaint 
attracted  the  attention  of  "  Dan,"  one  of  the  drivers, 
a  daring,  reckless  sort  of  a  fellow,  smart  in  his  busi- 
ness, but  entertaining  no  serious  prejudice  to  a  "  tod," 
or  to  an  occasional  "  shindy  ;  "  BO  Dan  proposed  the 
next  night,  to  the  occupant  of  the  lone  room,  an  inves- 
tigation of  the  mysterious  noises.  The  offer  was 
thankfully  accepted,  and  the  two,  after  partaking  of  a 
"  little  suthin'  warmin',"  retired  to  their  apartment. 
After  an  hour  spent  in  a  social  smoke,  both  "  turned 


102  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

in."  The  gas  in  one  burner  was  always  left  slightly 
burning,  so  that  it  could  instantly  be  turned  on  in 
case  of  late  arrivals  of  messengers.  On  this  occasion 
it  bnrned  dimly,  but  gave  a  glimmer  of  light  suffi- 
cient to  discover  to  the  restless  Dan,  who  was  par- 
tially awakened  by  rattling  noises  in  the  "  old  hoss  " 
room,  a  ghastly-looking  countenance  peering  at  him 
through  a  pane  of  the  window.  Somewhat  startled, 
Dan  jogged  his  friend,  whispering,  "  Joe  !  see  that  cuss 
lookin'  at  us  through  the  winder ! "  Joe  sleepily 
turned  over,  exclaiming,  u  Why,  Dan,  that's  the  very 
feller  that  was  round  here  last  night,  makin'  those 
cussed  noises."  "  Let's  go  for  him,"  says  Dan.  "All 
right,"  says  Joe  ;  and  turning  on  the  gas,  they  made  a 
rush  for  the  window,  and  discovered —  that  the  "  skel- 
eton cuss"  was  only  an  old  oil  portrait  of  an  anti- 
quated, sickly-looking  gentleman  from  the  "  dead  " 
freight,  which  Joe's  predecessor  had  stuck  into  the 
window  to  fill  the  place  of  a  broken  pane.  An  hour 
or  so  later,  Dan  and  Joe  found  the  rattling  noise  to 
proceed  from  a  long,  narrow  box  in  the  "  old  hoss  " 
room,  from  which,  as  they  approached,  ran  two  large 
rats.  Getting  a  hammer,  they  removed  the  cover, 
and  were  considerably  astonished  to  discover  a  human 
skeleton  !  On  looking  at  the  cover,  —  for  Dan  remem- 
bered seeing  the  box  before,  —  it  was  found  directed  to 

Dr.  — ,  Salem    Street.     Dan  recollected  that  it  was 

carried  there,  but  returned  to  the  office  on  account 
of  the  doctor's  removal  to  some  locality  unknown  to 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  103 

the  occupant  of  that  number.  Joe  says  he  always 
knew  thatthe  noises  were  never  produced  by  a  live  man. 
In  the  same  office  the  clerks  and  employees  were 
considerably  puzzled  to  account  lor  a  smell,  which  in- 
creased in  intensity  for  two  successive  days,  resem- 
bling a  combustion  of  something  of  an  oily  nature. 
The  vicinity  of  the  stoves  was  thoroughly  examined 
above  and  below  stairs,  but  nothing  appeared  to  ac- 
count for  the  burning  odor.  At  length  one  of  the 
boys,  who  possessed  an  uncommonly  keen  olfactory 
organ,  announced  a  discovery  in  the  "  old  hoss  "  de- 
partment. A  large  case  of  goods,  directed  to  a  whole- 
sale clothing  house  which  had  recently  suspended  busi- 
ness, was  lying  there  awaiting  orders  from  the  shippers. 
Upon  examination,  it  was  found  that  smoke  issued 
from  the  cracks  in  the  cover,  and  the  box  was  so  hot 
that  it  could  scarcely  be  touched.  It  was  hastily 
opened,  and  found  to  contain  oiled  clothing  in  a  state 
of  spontaneous  combustion,  only  requiring  the  aid  of 
air  to  burst  out  in  flames.  Of  course,  in  a  short  time 
the  cover  or  sides  would  have  burned  through,  and 
caused  a  serious  fire  among  the  combustible  surround- 
ings, especially  if  occurring  at  night. 

"OLD  Hoss"  AUCTION  SALE. 

One  of  the  most  stirring  occasions  in  the  routine  of 
express  duties  is  the  occasional  sale  by  auction  of  the 
"  old  hoss  '*  collection  of  freight,  which  accumulates 
to  a  formidable  catalogue  in  the  office  of  a  large  ex- 
press company  after  a  lew  seasons.  Every  method  is 


104  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

employed  by  the  company  to  notify  owners  before  re- 
sorting to  a  sale,  yet,  notwithstanding  most  persistent 
efforts,  the  packages  will  accumulate.  The  assort- 
ment of  articles  which  make  up  the  "  old  boss  "  list 
is  one  of  infinite  variety  —  from  a  box  of  pills  to  a 
mowing  machine.  The  sale  of  these  articles  in  the 
hands  of  a  witty  auctioneer  (the  late  lamented  D.  F. 
McGilvray,  Esq.,  for  example)  is  equal  to  a  farce  at 
the  Museum.  They  are  sold  for  what  they  will  bring, 
without  any  reference  to  value,  —  that  being  a  mat- 
ter of  conjecture  on  the  part  of  the  buyer,  as  no  pack- 
age can  be  opened  or  examined.  It  is  buying  a  "  pig 
in  the  poke."  It  is  a  curious  study  to  watch  the 
countenances  of  bidders  and  spectators :  some  are 
for-bidding,  some  fore-boding,  and  others  expectant. 
One  purchaser  bids  high  on  a  small,  neat  box,  sup- 
posed to  contain  jewelry.  It  is  knocked  off  to  him, 
"  Cash,  five  dollars."  He  pulls  out  his  wallet,  hands  his 
V  to  the  cashier,  and  impatient  to  see  his  prize,  he 
opens  it  amid  the  curious  crowd,  and  discovers  —  a 
set  of  false  te-eth  ! 

Another  box,,  originally  directed  to  a  manufacturer 
of  musical  instruments,  but  which  he  refused  to  re- 
ceive and  pay  charges  for,  was  marked,  "  Wind  Instru- 
ments ;  with  care."  This  was  opened  and  found  to 
contain — white  beans!  The  fortunate  purchaser  of 
this  "  old  hoss  "  relic  received  the  hearty  congratu- 
lations of  the  jolly  auctioneer  on  his  good  luck.  Some- 
times a  purchaser  would  receive  as  a  reward  for  his 
faith  an,  excellent  bargain,  but  as  a  general  rule,  no 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  105 

sudden  acquisition  of  wealth  resulted  to  purchasers 
who  invested  in  "  old  boss  '*  packages. 

RATHER  MIXED  ! 

Major  Jones,  Superintendent  of  the  Boston,  Lowell, 
and  Nashua  Express  Company,  tells  a  good  story, 
which  happened  up  in  Nashua,  which  illustrates  two 
things,  viz. :  the  importance  of  expressmen  taking 
receipts  for  goods  and  packages  delivered,  and  the 
easy  facility  with  which  blunders  on  the  part  of 
traders  are  shouldered  off  upon  expressmen :  — 

"  Last  spring,  when  Barnum's  great  show  visited 
Nashua,  a  hat  dealer  of  that  place,  thinking  to  take 
.advantage  of  the  influx  of  visitors  to  see  the  exhibi- 
tion, ordered  by  express  from  a  Boston  house  a  case 
of  soft  hats,  anticipating  quick  sales.  With  the 
promptness  which  characterizes  this  company,  the 
case  of  hats  were  the  same  night  landed  at  the  Nashua 
store,  and  receipted  for  on  the  driver's  book.  Some- 
thing like  a  month  after  this  transaction,  Major  Jones 
was  somewhat  surprised  to  receive  a  note  from  the 
hat  dealer,  requesting  him  to  call  and  settle  for  a  miss- 
ing case  of  hats  sent  from  Boston  by  his  express 
company.  The  major  promptly  responded,  taking 
with  him  the  driver's  receipted  book,  and  exhibited 
to  the  astonished  dealer  his  own  signature  for  the 
goods.  There  was  his  name,  sure  !  —  but  where  were 
the  goods?  He  had  sold  no  entire  case  of  goods;  if 
he  had  sold  the  hats,  the  case  should  be  there.  The 
discussion  attracted  the  notice  of  a  gentleman  present, 


106  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

who  remarked  that,  one  evening,  a  month  or  so  previ- 
ously, he  had  seen  a  hat  case  sold  for  twenty-five  cents? 
to  a  neighboring  dealer ;  might  it  not  be  possible  that 
this  was  the  missing  box?  This  suggestion  was 
scouted  by  the  dealer  as  not  only  improbable,  but 
highly  ridiculous.  Not  so  did  it  strike  Major  Jones, 
whose  practical  education  in  the  express  business 
had  taught  him  that  many  queer  mistakes  constantly 
occur;  so,  making  his  way  over  to  the  purchaser  of 
the  box,  he  questioned  him  about  his  purchase.  He 
admitted  buying  it,  and  stated  that  it  was  down  in  his 
cellar,  awaiting  an  occasion  to  make  use  of  it.  '  Let 
us  take  a  look  at  it,'  said  the  major ;  and  getting  per- 
mission, he  stepped  down  and  soon  found  it.  Finding 
it  nailed  up,  he  procured  mallet  and  chisel,  and  on  re- 
moving the  cover,  disclosed  to  the  astonished  pur- 
chaser the  case  filled  with  hats,  just  as  shipped  from 
the  Boston  house.  It  is  almost  needless  to  add  that  a 
supper  was  partaken  of  at  the  expense  of  the  hat 
dealer." 

ROBBERY  PREVENTED   BY  A  DOG. 

Some  twenty-five  or  Bix  years  ago  a  bold  and  ex- 
tensive robbery  took  place  in  Boston.  The  watch 
and  jewelry  establishment  of  Currier  &  Trott,  on 
Washington  Street,  was  entered  in  the  night  time  and 
completely  cleaned  out.  The  magnitude  of  the  trans- 
action and  the  boldness  of  the  robbers  created  quite 
an  excitement,  for  people  were  not  then  accus- 
tomed to  the  wholesale  stealing  which  characterizes 


OF   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  107 

the  present  period.  The  robbery,  as  was  afterward* 
ascertained,  was  committed  by  two  skillful  and  noto- 
rious English  burglars,  who  were  arrested  and  tried 
for  their  crime.  Some  weeks  previous  to  the  Currier 
&  Trott  burglary  an  attempt  was  made  on  the  office 
of  Thompson  &  Co.'s  Western  Express,  at  Springfield, 
in  the  night  time,  by  the  same  bold  villains.  The 
office  that  night  was  in  the  charge  of  Homer  Ashley 
—  who  was  then,  and  is  now,  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  J. 
M.  Thompson  —  and  another  clerk. 

As  the  vault  of  the  office  usually  contained  over 
night  large  sums  of  money  which  were  received  from 
the  late  expresses,  and  several  large  robberies  having 
recently  occurred  in  neighboring  towns,  it  was 
thought  expedient  to  procure  the  toughest  and  best 
fighting  dog  that  could  be  found,  as  an  additional  safe- 
guard. After  some  outlay  of  time  and  money,  the 
desired  animal  was  found,  and  his  fighting  qualities 
proved  so  good  that  he  was  christened  "  Yankee  Sul- 
livan," after  a  noted  pugilist  of  that  period. 

One  night,  about  midnight,  Mr.  Ashley  and  his  com- 
panion having  "  turned  in,"  a  wrenching  noise  was 
heard  at  the  front  door,  which  was  shortly  after  burst 
open,  and  two  ruffians  made  their  appearance.  Com- 
prehending the  situation,  Ashley  unchained  "  Yankee," 
and  bade  him  "  go  for  them."  "  Yankee  "  went,  and 
a  terrific  battle  immediately  ensued,  not  between  the 
dog  and  the  burglars,  but  between  "  Yankee  "  and  a 
powerful  dog  which  accompanied  them. 

Leaving  the  dogs  to  "  fight  it  out  on  that  line,"  tho 


108  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

burglars  advanced  upon  the  two  employees,  who,  hav- 
ing no  weapons  to  fight  against  such  odds,  jumped 
out  of  a  window,  shouting  for  help.  The  robbers 
quickly  followed  them,  one  aiming  a  blow  at  Ashley 
with  a  billy.  The  darkness  preventing  a  good  sight 
at  Ashley,  he  managed  to  dodge  this  and  one  or  two 
other  blows,  but  felt  that  his  time  was  almost  up,  and 
started  for  a  run,  when  several  persons  appeared  on 
the  scene,  attracted  by  the  screams  and  noise  of  the 
fighting  dogs,  and  the  two  burglars  disappeared  in 
the  darkness.  Upon  striking  a  light,  it  was  found 
that  "  Yankee  Sullivan  "  had  so  "chawed  up  "  the  bur- 
glar dog  that  he  was  unable  to  "  come  to  time,"  and  a 
few  moments  sufficed  for  him  to  "  pass  in  his  checks." 
When  the  burglars  were  afterwards  apprehended, 
they  stated  that  they  would  have  had  a  sure  thing  but 
for  "  Yankee."  The  dog  which  he  defeated  cost  them 
five  hundred  dollars. 

HINTS  TO  PERSONS  DOING  BUSINESS  WITH  EXPRESSMEN. 

1.  Before  you  visit  an  express  office  with  a  package 
or  collection,  ascertain,  if  possible,  if  you  are  visiting 
the  right  office.     "  Uncle  Samuel's  "  territory  is  very 
extensive  ;  expresses  are  numerous,  and  they  naturally 
and  of  necessity  run  in  different  directions.     Please 
bear  this  in  mind. 

2.  Do  not  infer,  because  an  express  clerk  patiently 
listens  to  a  long-winded  complaint  or  a  tedious  series 
of  interrogations,  that  his  time  is  of  little  value.     Re- 


OF   AX   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  109 

member  tluit  the  railroad  train  or  the  steamboat  never 
Awaits  fur  delayed  way-bills  or  belated  passengers. 

3.  Never  vent  your  indignation  upon  the  express- 
man because  he  fails  to  collect  a  demand,  and  charges 
you  a  reasonable  fee  for  his  trouble,  especially  when 
such  collection  has  defied  all  your  previous  efforts  to 
effect  a  settlement,  and  is  only  given  to  the  express- 
man as  a  dernier  resort. 

4.  In  sending  a  bill  C.  0.  D.,  always  send  the  goods 
with  the  bill,  otherwise  the  cabalistic  letters  C.  0.  D. 
on  a  package  are  more  ornamental  than  useful.     Never 
send  fresh  fish,  lobsters,  or  ice  cream  C.  0.  D.  unless 
you  are  prepared  to  receive  and  pay  charges  on  the 
unpleasant  remains  in  case  they  are  returned  for  non- 
payment of  bill. 

5.  Don't  pack  a  demijohn  in  a  trunk  of  dry  goods 
samples,  and  call  on  the  expressman  to  liquidate  the 
bill  for  damages  in  case  of  breakage.     This  hint  is  es- 
pecially intended  for  "  commercial  travellers." 

6.  Be  careful  in  directing  packages  ;  a  package  for 
Springfield,  Mass.,  directed  Springfield,  111.,  involves  a 
pretty  big  bill  of  express  charges. 

7.  Keep  an  "Express  List"  always  posted  in  your 
counting  and  delivery  rooms. 

C.   0.   D. 

These  cabalistic  letters,  when  years  ago  they  were 
first  noticed  upon  sundry  boxes,  bales,  and  packages 
in  various  express  offices,  excited  much  speculation 


110  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILL8 

among  tha  uninitiated,  and  many  were  the  opinions  ex- 
pressed as  to  the  meaning  of  the  mysterious  charac- 
ters. An  "  old  expressman "  well  remembers  an 
amusing  explanation  given  by  a  countryman  to  two 
of  his  friends  as  they  stood  surveying  a  suspicious- 
looking  barrel  standing  on  the  sidewalk  in  Court 
Square  one  morning.  Quite  a  discussion  arose,  which 
was  finally  settled  by  one  "  Bunsby  "  looking  individ- 
ual, who,  with  an  air  of  oracular  wisdom,  remarked, 
"  That  bar'l  contains  fish  ;  ef  you  don't  believe  it,  just 
walk  up  and  take  a  smell  —  codfish."  His  companions 
walked  away  perfectly  satisfied  with  this  solution  of 
a  great  mystery.  This  plan  of  shortening  the  sen- 
tence "  collect  on  delivery  "  originated  in  the  New 
York  office  of  the  Adams  Express  Company,  and  has 
saved  a  small  ocean  of  ink  besides  an  incalculable 
amount  of  time. 

The  express  companies  hold  on  tight  to  the  parcels 
until  the  individual  forks  over  the  amount  of  the 
charges ;  and  often  parcels  are  sent  to  people  with- 
out their  previous  knowledge,  perplexing  them  not  a 
little,  and  making  them  think  a  long  while  before 
paying.  Whether  it  is  a  hoax  or  not  they  can't  tell ; 
and  it  used  sometimes  to  be  the  case  that  the  express 
companies  found  parcels  on  their  hands  which  really 
amounted  to  nothing  at  all,  and  were  sent  to  the  par- 
ties to  whom  they  were  addressed  as  a  "  goak  "  — 
which  said  parties  could  not  see  in  the  light  of  paying 


OF  AN  OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  Ill 

the  charges,  and  which  could  Dot  be  returned  because 
the  sender  had  vanished. 

Nowadays  the  express  companies  are  more  cautious, 
and  will  not  receive  parcels  of  any  value  or  impor- 
tance except  from  parties  to  whom  they  can  look  for 
the  pay.  Sometimes  the  innocent  parties  of  a  practi- 
cal joke  would  be  fairly  taken  in,  and,  thinking  the 
parcel  must  be  from  Uncle  Joe  or  Cousin  Tom,  and 
intended  as  a  surprise,  would  eagerly  pay  for  it,  and 
impatiently  open  it  before  a  curious  crowd.  If  it 
turned  out  to  be  a  couple  of  bricks  rolled  up  in  a  mass 
of  shavings,  or  a  log  of  wood  neatly  done  up  with  old 
newspapers,  the  HarP'  would  be  on  him,  and  the 
chances  were  that  he  would  never  get  over  it  to  his 
dying  day. 

Of  course  a  great  time  for  the  express  companies  is 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Christmas.  There  is  then  no 
end  to  the  turkeys,  chickens,  and  often  other  game 
and  fowl,  which  are  sent  by  generous  country  cousins 
to  "  the  folks  "  in  town ;  while  every  variety  of  pres- 
ents, from  piano-fortes  and  silver  table  services  to  saw- 
dust dolls,  packages  of  candy,  and  bundles  of  firo 
crackers,  are  crowded  together,  with  strict  method 
and  care,  in  the  heaped-up  vans  occupied  by  the  com- 
panies on  the  railway  trains.  It  need  not  be  said  that 
the  greatest  pains  are  taken  by  the  companies  to 
carry  the  packages,  and  especially  those  of  a  character 
liable  to  be  broken  or  spoiled  by  rough  handling,  in 


112  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

the  most  careful  manner ;  and  especial  care  has  to  bo 
taken  at  Christmas  time,  when  so  many  fancy  and 
purely  ornamental  articles  are  transported.  It  is  sel- 
dom, therefore,  that  the  delighted  and  anxious  ex- 
pectants of  the  Christmas  gifts  are  disappointed  by 
the  arrival  of  a  broken  present. 

The  collecting  on  delivery  of  goods  forms  a  very 
important  and  profitable  portion  of  the  business  of  the 
large  express  companies,  as  two  express  charges  are 
realized  —  the  charge  for  freight  to  the  buyer  and 
charge  for  return  of  money  to  the  seller.  Goods  can 
be  sent  in  this  way  to  parties  of  dubious  credit,  in- 
volving no  risk  to  the  sender,  as  the  express  assumes 
all  liability.  A  huge  negro  arrived  one  day  at  one  of 
our  prominent  express  offices,  delivered  by  a  New 
York  express.  Suspended  from  his  neck  was  a  large 
card  marked  "  C.  O.  D.,  $16.25  for  board  bill,"  and  the 
further  written  instructions,  "  Water  and  grub  the 
darky."  The  grinning  Ethiopian  seemed  to  enjoy 
the  attention  this  novel  placard  attracted. 

The  most  profitable  portion  of  the  express  business 
is  the  money  package  and  collecting  department.  Small 
packages,  of  which  a  great  number  can  be  packed  in 
trunks,  pay  well ;  but  large  freight  is  comparatively 
unprofitable,  the  high  charges  of  the  railroads,  the 
larger  force  required  to  handle  it,  and  the  wear  and 
tear  of  wagons  combining  to  seriously  diminish  the 
profits.  The  exorbitant  terms  now  exacted  by  the  lead- 
ing railroads  almost  amount  to  prohibition  of  express 


OP   AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  113 

companies,  and  there  is  a  rapidly  growing  tendency  on 
the  part  of  these  corporations  to  run  off  the  expresses 
and  assume  that  department  of  business.  Several 
roads  have  already  commenced,  and  the  "  beginning 
of  the  end  "  has  begun,  which  will  in  the  course  of 
a  few  years  end  the  occupation  of  many  an  old 
expressman. 

8 


114  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE  BAGGAGE  EXPRESS. 

ONE  of  the  most  useful  express  institutions  is  the 
baggage  express.  What  countless  hosts  of  travellers, 
tired  and  worn  out  with  the  fatigues  of  travel,  "  rise 
up  and  bless "  the  baggage  expressman,  as  he  gra- 
ciously relieves  them  of  the  perplexing  care  of  their 
numerous  trunks,  valises,  and  hat-boxes  !  Everything, 
from  a  carpet  satchel  to  a  Saratoga  trunk,  is  taken  in 
charge  by  the  enterprising  agent,  and  promptly  deliv- 
ered at  a  reasonable  charge  in  any  portion  of  the  city 
or  its  suburbs.  This  great  convenience  is  extensively 
appreciated  and  patronized  by  the  travelling  public. 

The  credit  of  organizing  this  useful  institution  is 
due  to  Warren  Studley,  for  many  years  a  messenger 
between  Boston  and  New  York  for  Kinsley  &  Co.'s 
Express.  He  had  the  sagacity  to  foresee  the  useful- 
ness of  this  branch  of  the  express  business,  and  the 
energy  to  put  it  into  operation.  He  commenced  by  de- 
livering baggage  from  the  New  Haven  trains,  but  soon 
extended  the  business  to  the  other  roads  and  to  the 
various  steamboat  routes  with  extraordinary  success. 
His  example  has  been  extensively  copied  through- 


OP    AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  115 

out  the  country,  and  the  baggage  expressman  is  every- 
where seen. 

NEW  YORK  AND  BOSTON  EXPRESS. 

Among  the  expresses  of  recent  date,  no  company 
has  been  formed  on  such  a  scale  of  liberality  in  equip- 
ments as  the  one  started  by  James  Fisk,  Jr.,  and  called 
the  New  York  and  Boston  Express.  This  express 
commenced  with  the  running  of  the  Narraganset 
Steamship  Company's  boats  between  New  York  and 
Fall  River,  about  three  years  since.  The  feasibility 
of  this  route  for  a  first-class  express  was  very  appar- 
ent to  Mr.  Fisk,  and  he  lost  no  time  after  the  line 
passed  into  his  hands  in  carrying  out  his  plans.  The 
enterprise  has  proved  a  great  success,  and  under  the 
able  management  of  Mr.  G.  A.  Fuller,  has  given  entire 
satisfaction  to  the  merchants  and  bankers,  who  are  its 
principal  patrons,  in  New  York,  Boston,  and  else- 
where. 

The  death  of  James  Fisk,  Jr.,  its  principal  proprie- 
tor, while  this  work  was  in  preparation  for  the  press, 
gives  a  fitting  opportunity  to  say  a  few  words  respect- 
ing this  remarkable  man.  His  history  as  a  peddler, 
salesman,  merchant,  broker,  and  railway  manager  is 
familiar  to  everybody.  His  faults  were  better  known 
than  his  merits,  for  Fisk  was  no  hypocrite,  and  did 
openly  what  thousands  of  men  standing  high  in  the 
world's  esteem  do  privately,  the  world  being  no  wiser 
for  their  departures  from  the  code  of  morality.  He 
was  not  insensible  to  ridicule,  but  he  was  certainly 


116  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

insensible  to  fear,  and  possessed  a  courage,  energy, 
and  persistence  of  purpose  truly  wonderful.  He  was 
born  to  command,  and  possessed  the  rare  faculty  of 
inspiring  others  to  almost  impossible  achievements. 
His  capacious  brain  grappled  with  projects  of  over- 
whelming dimensions,  and  mastered  them  without  ap- 
parent effort.  Operations  involving  immense  outlays, 
which  an  ordinary  manager  would  require  days  and 
weeks  to  digest,  were  decided  and  acted  upon  with 
such  rapidity  that  they  excited  distrust,  arid  seemed 
to  border  upon  recklessness ;  yet  results  showed  them 
to  be  the  shrewd  combinations  of  a  mathematical 
brain,  marvellously  conceived  and  marvellously  exe- 
cuted. 

An  amusing  instance  of  his  promptness  and  auda- 
city was  once  witnessed  by  the  writer.  One  of  the 
large  steamers  of  the  Narraganset  Company  was  just 
leaving  her  dock  in  New  York.  The  gangway  planks 
had  been  hauled  in,  and  Fisk  stood  on  the  dock  wav- 
ing an  adieu  to  some  friends  on  board,  when  an  indi- 
vidual, valise  in  hand,  rushed  down  to  the  landing, 
exclaiming,  "  I  must  go !  I  must  go ! "  "  Go  you 
will,"  said  Fisk,  grasping  him  under  the  arms,  and 
giving  him  a  toss  towards  the  moving  boat.  "  Look 
out  for  him,  boys,"  shouted  Fisk,  as  the  astonished 
traveller  alighted  safely  on  board,  followed  by  his 
valise.  This  audacious  transaction  occupied  but  a 
moment,  yet  it  was  characteristic  of  the  cool  operator, 
who,  during  the  affair,  had  not  ceased  to  smoke  hia 


OF   AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  117 

cigar,  nor  did  a  smile  disturb  tlic  self-complacency  of 
his  countenance. 

As  an  evidence  of  his  kindliness  of  heart  and  con- 
sideration for  the  welfare  of  those  in  his  employ,  who 
numbered  a  legion,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  they  all 
realize  that  they  have  lost  their  best  friend.  Could 
the  disposition  of  the  cowardly  assassin  Stokes  be  left 
in  their  hands,  there  would  be  no  occasion  for  the  le- 
gal farce  of  a  protracted  and  expensive  trial. 

NEW  EXPRESSES  MADE  FROM  OLD  MATERIAL. 

A  very  extensive  express  company  is  that  formed 
from  the  old  material  of  several  old  established  Low- 
ell and  Nashua  expresses,  and  now  called  the  Boston, 
Lowell,  and  Nashua  Express  Company.  This  large 
company  is  under  the  proprietorship  of  the  Lowell 
and  Nashua  Railroad,  and  is  superintended  by  Major 
Peter  W.  Jones,  a  railroad  and  express  manager  of 
large  experience  and  great  executive  ability.  Mr. 
Jones  has  had  the  benefit  of  a  thorough  railroad  edu- 
cation, having  at  an  early  ago  entered  the  service  of 
the  Nashua  Road,  and  filled  a  great  variety  of  posi- 
tions, from  shovelling  out  a  gravel  bank  and  laying 
rails  to  management  of  railroad  affairs.  The  efficient 
Boston  agent  of  this  company  is  Mr.  Thomas  Shepard, 
a  very  capable  and  faithful  man,  of  twenty  years'  ex- 
perience in  the  express  business. 

Another  extensive  company  is  Earle  &  Prew's 
Providence  Express  Company,  which  succeeds  the 


118  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

old  Earle  Express,  which  was  started  by  B.  D.  and  L. 
B.  Earle,  in  1840.  Mr.  Earle,  of  Earle  &  Prew,  is  a 
son  of  L.  B.  Earle,  and  inherits  his  father's  tact  and 
ability.  Mr.  Prew  was  formerly  a  messenger  in  the 
Providence  Express,  but  commenced  running  on  his 
"  own  hook  "  several  years  since,  and  succeeded,  by 
his  indomitable  energy,  in  building  up  an  extensive 
business.  Since  he  joined  Mr.  Earle  this  business  has 
largely  increased.  In  connection  with  their  Boston 
and  Providence  Express,  Colonel  8.  H.  Leonard  runs 
the  Providence  and  Worcester  Express.  Colonel 
Leonard  commenced  running,  with  his  father,  on  the 
Boston  and  Worcester  Express,  in  1841,  and  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  ablest  expressmen  in  the  business. 

The  Kinsley  Express  Company  succeed  to  the  busi- 
ness of  the  once  famous  R.  B.  Kinsley,  one  of  the 
oldest  and  largest  stage,  steamboat,  and  express  pro- 
prietors in  the  country.  The  proprietors  are  now 
Harvey  D.  Mack,  Frank  D.  Blake,  and  A.  H.  Palmer, 
formerly  clerks  and  messengers  for  R.  B.  Kinsley. 
Their  express  runs  to  Fall  River.  Newport,  and  other 
towns  in  the  vicinity  of  these  places.  They  are  all 
smart,  energetic  men,  and  are  bound  to  flourish. 

The  Old  Colony  Express  Company,  under  the  super- 
intendence of  Mr.  Charles  Crummett,  succeeds  several 
expresses  running  to  various  towns  on  the  Dighton 
branch  of  the  Old  Colony  Railroad.  The  business  of 
this  company  is  quite  extensive  and  well  managed. 


OP  AN  OLD  EXPRESSMAN.  119 

EXPRESS  TEAMS. 

That  the  express  business  "  pays,"  the  magnificent 
horses  and  elegantly  painted  wagons  of  the  principal 
express  companies  fully  attest.  In  the  humble  days 
of  Alvin  Adams,  when  one  wagon,  driven  by  E.  H. 
Brainard,  served  to  do  the  business  of  Adams,  Leon- 
ard, &  Co.,  leaving  plenty  of  spare  time  to  the  driver 
to  turn  an  honest  penny  by  engaging  in  other  work, 
it  probably  never  entered  their  heads  that  thousand 
dollar  horses  would  at  some  future  day  draw  express 
freight  through  the  streets  of  Boston.  Mr.  Adams 
always  loved  a  good  horse,  and  has  an  appreciative 
eye  for  the  good  points  of  that  noble  animal.  When 
he  began  to  prosper  in  worldly  circumstances,  he 
indulged  in  the  luxury  of  good  horses,  and  set  the 
example  of  always  having  the  best  in  the  market. 
Other  well-to-do  express  proprietors,  not  wishing  to 
be  thrown  so  entirely  into  the  shade,  gradually  fol- 
lowed suit.  Wagons  had  to  be  built  to  correspond, 
and  for  years  there  has  been  great  rivalry  between 
the  celebrated  builders  of  Concord,  N.  H.,  and  their 
rivals  in  other  places,  to  produce  the  handsomest  and 
strongest  wagons. 

Some  of  the  teams  belonging  to  the  large  express 
companies  cost  money  enough  to  purchase  a  comfort- 
able farm,  and  the  care  of  such  valuable  property  is 
no  small  item  in  the  yearly  expenses.  Indeed,  wo 
are  very  sure  that  the  sickness  of  a  horse  is  consid 


120  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

ered  by  some  proprietors  as  of  vastly  more  conse- 
quence than  the  illness  of  a  hard-working  employee? 
with,  perchance,  a  family  depending  for  their  daily 
bread  upon  his  exertions.  A  dead  horse  is  a  dead 
loss,  but  a  dead  clerk  can  be  easily  replaced. 

A  RAILROAD  TUNNEL. 

It  may  not  be  inappropriate  in  this  melange  of  ex- 
press and  railroad  matters,  to  insert  a  graphic  sketch 
with  the  above  title,  written  by  A.  L.  Stimson,  Esq., 
an  Ex-expressman.  The  scene  is  the  long  tunnel  on 
the  Hudson  River  Railroad,  at  the  Highlands.  It 
always  casts  upon  the  traveller  a  feeling  of  awe,  not 
umningled  with  terror,  as  the  "  lightning  express 
train  "  thunders  along  this  arch  through  the  mountain. 

"  Stop  a  few  minutes,  and  let  us  look  at  yonder 
mountain.  Its  majestic  crown  rises  nearly  to  the 
clouds,  and  its  sides  are  covered  with  the  evergreen, 
hemlock  and  pine,  the  laural  and  the  spruce.  How 
often  has  the  painter  tried  to  convey  to  his  canvas 
its  beauties,  and  how  often  has  he  failed !  See  you 
that  small,  dark  spot  near  its  base  ?  It  is  the  mouth 
of  a  tunnel,  which  has  been  by  human  energy  bored 
through  the  solid  rock  for  a  long  distance.  Suddenly, 
as  if  from  the  boundless  depths  of  the  earth,  is  heard 
a  roaring  and  shrieking,  as  though  all  the  thunders  of 
the  universe  were  combined  in  that  one  spot;  and  the 
ground  vibrates  for  miles  around,  as  if  shaken  by  an 
earthquake.  In  wonder  and  amazement,  you  believe 


OP    AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  121 

that  the  volcanic  fires,  bound  in  the  deep  bowels  of 
the  earth,  are  about  to  burst  forth  in  all  their  violence 
and  terror.  But  ere  the  mind  has  time  to  recover 
from  this  impression,  you  see  issuing  from  that  small, 
dark  spot  upon  the  mountain-side  two  large,  bright, 
glaring  eyes,  followed  by  a  coal-black  iron  steed,  pro- 
pelled by  fiery  steam,  and  rushing  forward  with  an 
impetuosity  equal  to  the  wind,  it  passes  beside  you, 
and  before  you  are  aware  of  it,  naught  is  seen  save  a 
long  thin  stream  of  light  vapor,  shaking  and  curling  in 
the  distance,  like  the  tail  of  an  enormous  serpent 
emerging  from  the  bowels  of  the  mountain,  to  scourge 
and  ravage  the  earth. 

"The  track  of  the  railroad  is  laid  through  that  tun- 
nel, and  the  engine,  with  its  train  of  cars  loaded  with 
a  living  freight,  has  just  passed  you." 

A   MOST   REMARKABLE   EXPRESS   ROBBERY. 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  singular  express  rob- 
beries that  has  ever  occurred  took  place  at  an  early 
period  in  the  history  of  expressing.  We  are  indebted 
for  particulars  to  a  volume  of  railroad  and  express 
reminiscences,  published  by  Mr.  A.  L.  Stimson,  some 
fourteen  years  since.  This  was  the  robbery  of  Pnl- 
len  &  Copp's  Western  Express,  of  a  trunk  belonging 
to  Pomeroy  &  Co.'s  Express,  which  had  been  placed 
in  the  care  of  Pullen  <fe  Copp,  for  transportation  from 
Albany  to  New  York.  This  was  in  the  year  1843, 
before  the  building  of  the  Hudson  River  Railroad, 


122  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

when  the  journey  was  made  between  the  two  cities 
in  the  fall  and  winter  seasons  by  stage  and  steamboat, 
as  the  ice  permitted.  The  messenger,  on  this  occa- 
sion, travelled  by  stage  to  within  sixty  miles  or  so  of 
New  York,  then  took  the  steamboat  for  the  balance 
of  the  passage.  He  was  excessively  tired  and  worn 
out  by  his  tedious  stage  travel,  but  still  kept  a 
"  watchful  eye  "  on  the  trunk,  which  he  knew  was 
valuable,  but  he  had  not  the  remotest  idea  of  the  im- 
mense value  of  the  property  it  contained.  Notwith- 
standing his  inclination  to  snatch  a  few  moments  for 
sleep,  he  arrived  safe  with  his  charge  at  the  dock  in 
New  York.  On  arrival  he  was  disappointed  in  not 
finding  the  company's  express  wagon  waiting  for  him, 
as  usual,  and  hastily  concluded  to  go  for  it,  after  re- 
questing the  clerk  to  keep  an  eye  on  his  trunk.  Had 
he  surmised  its  enormous  value  no  inducement  would 
have  tempted  him  to  leave  it  for  a  moment.  What 
was  his  horror  and  consternation  on  his  return  to  dis- 
cover that  the  trunk  had  disappeared  !  No  one  could 
give  the  distracted  messenger  any  information  con- 
cerning it.  He  at  once  notified  Pomeroy  &  Co.  of 
its  losg  —  appalling  intelligence  to  them,  as  the  trunk 
contained  bank  nifes  to  the  amount  of  sever  I  hundred 
thousand  dollars !  A  large  portion  of  the  money  be- 
longed to  the  Union  Bank,  and  some  sixty  thousand 
dollars  to  the  banking  firm  of  Drew,  Robinson  &  Co. 
With  the  exception  of  a  single  five  hundred  dollar 
note,  no  description  of  the  money  had  been  retained 
by  the  bankers  who  sent  it. 


OP   AN   OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  123 

Suspicion  temporarily  rested  upon  the  unfortunate 
messenger,  and  on  two  gentlemen,  one  belonging  to 
Syracuse,  and  the  other  to  New  York,  both  men  of 
property  and  good  standing,  in  consequence  of  the 
reported  story  of  the  l>oat  hands  that  they  had  been 
seen  talking  together  several  hours  previous  to  the 
boat's  arrival  in  New  York.  On  the  strength  of  this 
gossip  the  three  men  were  arrested  on  suspicion  of 
the  robbery.  After  the  most  searching  investigation, 
nothing  appearing  to  criminate  them,  they  were  re- 
leased, and  for  several  weeks  no  traces  of  the  robbers 
were  found.  About  one  mouth  after  the  loss,  a  teller 
in  one  of  the  city  banks  discovered  among  the  bills 
deposited  by  a  respectable  German  house,  a  five  hun- 
dred dollar  note,  corresponding  to  the  description  of 
the  missing  one  in  Drew,  Robinson  &  Co.'s  sixty  thou- 
sand dollar  package.  Messrs.  Pullen  &  Copp  and 
Pomeroy  &  Co.  were  immediately  notified,  and  they 
at  once  "  interviewed "  the  German  house.  The 
depositors  stated  that  the  note  was  received  from  a 
German  merchant,  named  Lachner,  from  Milwaukee. 
Lachner  was  soon  spotted  and  arrested  by  a  police 
officer,  who  found  him  in  company  with  a  modest  and 
pretty  young  woman,  whom  he  had  married  since  the 
robbery. 

Laclrher  confessed  that,  suspecting  the  value  of  the 
trunk  from  the  vigilant  care  taken  of  it  by  the  express 
messenger,  he  had,  during  the  brief  absence  of  that 
individual,  hastily  covered  it  with  a  buffalo  robe,  and 


124  WAIFS   FROM    THE   WAY-BILLS 

conveyed  it  to  his  room  in  Delancy  Street.  Nearly 
all  the  money  was  recovered,  and  Lachner  was  com- 
mitted to  the  "  Tombs,"  where  he  hung  himself  the 
night  of  his  committal.  His  youthful  and  unhappy 
bride,  so  soon  a  widow,  was  an  object  of  commisera- 
tion. She  soon  left  New  York,  a  broken-hearted 
woman,  for  Milwaukee. 

During  the  past  twenty  years  quite  a  number  of 
express  robberies,  some  of  them  of  considerable  mag- 
nitude, have  occurred,  but  in  a  very  few  instances 
have  expressmen  or  their  employees  been  implicated. 
Considering  the  great  temptations  continually  placed 
before  them,  it  is  a  matter  of  especial  congratulation 
to  the  fraternity  that  they  are  so  uniformly  honest. 
Nearly  all  the  extensive  express  robberies  which  have 
occurred,  have  been  planned  and  perpetrated  by  pro- 
fessional thieves  and  burglars. 

SUCCESSFUL  EXPRESSMEN. 

Not  all  the  toilers  in  the  field  of  express  enter- 
prise have  succeeded  in  realizing  the  "  stamps "  to 
any  great  extent.  Some  of  the  hardest  workers 
have,  after  years  of  wearisome  toil,  emerged  from  the 
"  little  end  of  the  horn,"  whilst  others,  with  compara- 
tively little  effort,  have  now,  and  always  have  had,  a 
"  soft  thing "  of  it.  The  same  fact  is  true  in  all 
branches  of  active  business ;  it  is  also  true  that  a  live 
expressman  encounters,  for  a  small  pecuniary  reward, 
risks  to  life  and  limb  that  few  men  are  willing  to 


OF    AN    OLD    EXPRESSMAN.  125 

encounter.  The  courageous  and  untiring  express 
messenger  nightly  hazards  his  life  upon  floating  tinder 
boxes,  yclept  steamboats,  or  takes  his  chances  on  the 
night  express  train,  over  rotten  bridges,  and  upon  the 
edges  of  yawning  chasms,  with  a  hardy  indilference, 
characteristic  of  the  tried  and  genuine  expressman. 
But  ho  seldom  gets  rich. 

SOME  OF  THE  OLD  EXPRESSES. 

One  of  the  oldest  expressmen,  not  in  years,  but  in 
service,  is  Colonel  S.  H.  Leonard.  He  commenced, 
with  his  father,  running  between  Boston  and  Worces- 
ter, previous  to  1840,  or  shortly  after  the  advent  of 
Harnden.  Colonel  Leonard  is  a  man  of  rare  executive 
ability,  and  has  proved  himself  capable  of  running  a 
first-class  express,  or  of  training  and  disciplining  a 
military  organization.  His  record  during  the  late  war, 
as  colonel  of  a  Massachusetts  regiment,  sheds  lustre 
upon  his  military  history.  As  in  expressman  he  has 
no  superior. 

Davenport  &  Mason's  Taunton  Express  is  one  of 
the  oldest  expresses  run  by  the  same  partners  in 
Boston.  Mr.  Mason,  who  was  formerly  a  messenger 
for  Mr.  Davenport's  father,  run  between  Taunton  and 
Boston  as  long  ago  as  1836.  Mr.  C.  F.  Davenport, 
his  present  partner,  and  son  of  his  old  employer,  has 
followed  the  vocation  of  expressman  nearly  thirty 
years.  They  have  acquired  deserved  wealth  and 
prosperity. 


126  WAIFS   PROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

Colonel  A.  D.  Hatch,  of  the  New  Bedford  Express, 
is  an  "old  settler"  in  the  business,  commencing  as 
far  back  as  1840,  and  is  still  "  tramp,  tramp,  tramp- 
ing." If  the  restless  colonel  ever  does  "  give  up 
the  ghost,"  his  soul  will  be  "  marching  on "  to  all 
eternity  over  an  imaginary  railroad  track.  Notwith- 
standing the  years  that  have  passed  over  his  head, 
the  gallant  colonel  still  retains  his  modest  and  youth- 
ful appearance. 

Chris.  C.  Jackson,  of  the  Portsmouth  Express, 
now  Jackson  &  Ackerman,  is  one  of  the  old  liners. 
He  was  formerly  a  stage  driver,  and  commenced  the 
express  about  twenty-five  years  ago.  Mr.  Jackson  is 
a  sterling  man,  and  faithful,  honest  expressman. 

Mr.  James  N.  Winslow,  now  of  the  Eastern  Express 
Company,  commenced  running  between  Boston  and 
Portland  in  1839,  and  for  many  years  ran  an  express 
on  the  Portland  boats.  He  joined  Mr.  J.  R.  Hall  in 
running  over  the  railroad  route  in  1852.  He  is  a 
successful  man. 

Among  the  employees  of  the  various  companies  are 
many  men  who  have  largely  contributed  to  the  suc- 
cess of  their  employers  by  faithful  service  and  untir- 
ing vigilance,  but  who  have  failed  to  reap  the  fruits 
of  their  arduous  toil.  The  success  of  an  express 
company,  although  depending,  in  a  measure,  upon  the 
moneyed  capital  employed,  is,  to  a  great  extent,  due  to 
the  faithfulness,  industry,  and  integrity  of  clerks,  man- 
agers, and  drivers,  who  are  the  individuals  to  come 
into  contact  with  the  customers,  who  generally  care 


OF  AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  127 

but  little  about  the  employer,  provided  he  is  re- 
sponsible pecuniarily.  Some  old  proprietors,  who 
assume  airs  of  profound  dignity,  scarcely  treat- 
ing with  ordinary  courtesy  their  employees,  would 
make  a  sorry  show  if  left  to  "  work  out  their  own  sal- 
vation." Considering  the  weighty  responsibility 
which  devolves  upon  the  express  manager,  the  oner- 
ous round  of  duty  which  characterizes  the  daily  duties 
of  the  express  clerk,  and  the  activity  and  promptness 
expected  of  the  express  driver,  it  is  a  fact  not  credit- 
able to  the  rich  proprietors  who  give  their  men  smaller 
pay  in  proportion  to  the  value  of  their  services  than 
any  other  class  of  business  men. 

Some  of  the  employees  of  our  leading  expresses 
have  filled  positions  of  arduous  responsibility  for 
many  years.  We  give  a  few  names  of  such  indi- 
viduals :  — 

ADAMS  EXPRESS  COMPANY. 

Waldo  Adams,  superintendent,  has  been  brought 
up  from  a  boy  in  his  father's  office.  He  has  had  a 
largo  experience,  and  is  noted  for  his  promptness  and 
energy.  Daniel  Lovering,  Jr.,  has  for  many  years  oc- 
cupied the  position  of  inside  manager,  to  the  accept- 
ance of  his  employers,  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  their 
hosts  of  customers.  Daniel  has  a  large  amount  of 
that  valuable  quality,  "  snap,"  in  his  composition.  H. 
W.  Dow,  the  cashier,  is  a  man  of  rare  qualifications 
for  his  position.  Quiet  and  unassuming  in  deport- 
ment, but  thorough  and  correct  in  the  performance  of 


128  WAIFS   PROM  THE  WAY-BILLS 

his  duties,  he  is  appreciated  by  his  employers,  like- 
wise by  all  who  come  into  business  contact  with  him. 
A.  B.  Atherton  has  for  the  past  twenty-five  years, 
more  or  less,  filled  a  position  of  great  importance  to 
the  Adams  Express  Company.  He  is  rarely  seen  in 
the  office,  and  is  hardly  known  by  the  public  gener- 
ally. His  duties  are,  and  always  have  been,  to  attend 
to  the  horses  and  teams  —  buying  new  stock  and 
taking  care  of  the  old. 

We  mean  no  disrespect  to  Mr.  Atherton  when  we 
say  that  he  is  "  all  horse."  He  has  been  brought  up 
among  horses,  and  "  knows  them  like  a  book."  His 
judgment  in  regard  to  the  value  of  horses,  and  his 
practical  knowledge  of  their  proper  treatment,  has 
been  immensely  valuable  to  an  establishment  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  Adams  Express  Company.  Mr. 
Atherton  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  numerous 
friends,  and  is  a  gentleman  of  genial  and  attractive 
presence. 

CHENEY  &  COMPANY 

have  many  employees  of  "  long  standing."  Messrs. 
George  F.  Geer,  A.  S.  Hawley,  S.  T.  A.  Gushing,  C. 
A.  Evans,  T.  H.  Tenney,  have  largely  contributed,  by 
their  integrity  and  industry,  to  the  great  success  of 
this  wealthy  and  influential  establishment.  Mr.  Che- 
ney, unlike  many  express  proprietors,  appreciates  de- 
serving men,  pays  them  liberally,  and  never  parts 
with  a  good  man.  His  example  in  this  respect  is 
worthy  of  imitation. 


OP  AN  OLD  EXPRESSMAN.  129 

THE  AMERICAN  EXPRESS  COMPANY 

has  some  "  old  stagers."  Homer  Ashley,  managing 
clerk,  has  been  in  the  employ  of  this  and  its  preceding 
express  companies  for  nearly  twenty-five  years.  It  is 
not  saying  too  much  to  assert  that  the  careful  and 
judicious  management  of  Mr.  Ashley  has  contributed 
more  to  the  success  of  his  employers  than  the  efforts 
of  any  other  individual  ever  connected  with  them  in 
any  capacity.  Joseph  King,  now  cashier  of  the 
A.  M.  Express  Company,  is  an  accomplished  express 
clerk,  and  has  had  many  years  of  experience. 

HARNDEN  AND  COMPANY. 

The  express  business  carried  on  under  thii  aame, 
at  98  Washington  Street,  employs  a  number  ok  expe- 
rienced and  accomplished  men.  Freeman  Cobb,  the 
superintendent,  is  a  man  of  executive  ability,  large 
experience,  and  attractive  manners.  C.  F.  Russell, 
the  cashier,  to  us&a  Westernism, "  knows  his  biz,"  and 
he  does  it.  Eben  Cain,  a  driver,  dating  back  to  the 
old  times  of  W.  F.  Harnden,  is  a  "character"  —  he  is 
essentially  a  "  driving  man."  One  of  Eben's  best 
exploits  in  making  quick  time  was  on  the  occasion  of 
Daniel  Webster's  death  at  Marshfield.  Ebeii  was  em- 
ployed by  the  Boston  friends  of  the  lamented  states- 
man to  run  back  and  forth  a  special  express,  detailing 
his  daily  condition,  <fec.  Eben  secured  a  rolpy  of 
picked  horses,  stationed  at  various  intervals  alcng  the 
route,  and  mounting  each  in  turn,  made  most  c-xtraor- 
9 


130  WAIFS   FROM  THE   WAY-BILLS 

dinary  time  between  Marshfield  and  Boston.  Eben 
was  the  first  man  to  report  in  Boston  the  memorable 
exclamation  of  the  dying  giant  —  "  I  still  live  ! " 

THE  EASTERN  EXPRESS  COMPANY 

retain  the  services  of  many  valuable  men.  Horace 
Shaw,  the  oldest  (in  point  of  service)  of  their  em- 
ployees, has  been  in  the  service  of  this  company  for 
the  past  twenty  years.  Colonel  Henderson,  formerly 
messenger  on  the  "  Wolf  line,"  has  had  a  long  and 
varied  experience  in  the  business ;  his  eyes  are  still 
undimmed,  and  his  natural  force  not  abated.  James 
F.  Slater  has  been  a  faithful  messenger  for  twenty 
years  and  upwards,  and  Moses  B.  Winslow,  James  and 
George  Tarbox,  have  "  seen  service "  for  the  past 
eighteen  years.  Messrs.  Rice,  Libbey,  and  Rea  are 
valued  clerks  of  this  company. 

AT  OTHER  EXPRESS  OFFICES 

the  management  of  business  is  intrusted  to  men  wor- 
thy of  their  vocation.  At  35  Court  Square,  Mr.  H. 
A.  Cook,  son  of  an  old  time  expressman,  has  the 
agency  of  numerous  expresses  running  to  all 
points.  Mr.  Cook  was  formerly  in  the  employ  of 
Thompson  &  Co.,  and  has  had  an  experience  of  nearly 
twenty  years  in  the  business.  Harvey  D.  Mack,  suc- 
cessor of  Kinsley  &  Co.,  is  in  the  same  office.  Thomas 
Shepard,  an  old  and  accomplished  expressman,  is  at 
33  Court  Square,  and  is  the  efficient  agent  of  the 
Lowell  and  Nashua  Railroad  Express,  Russell  &  Co.'s 


OP  AN  OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  131 

Haverhill  Express,  Niles's  Dover  Express,  <fec.  Wal- 
lace W.  Russell  is  an  old  expressman,  having  served 
many  years  with  the  Eastern  Express  Company. 
William  Gibbs,  Jr.,  and  Horatio  Pollard,  of  10  Court 
Square,  have  been  long  in  the  business,  Mr.  Pollard 
having  commenced  with  Earle  &  Co.'s  Providence 
Express  more  than  twenty  years  ago.  R.  R.  Smith, 
agent  of  the  large  express  agency,  corner  of  Liberty 
Square  and  Kilby  Street,  is  a  very  efficient  man  and 
a  popular  manager. 

There  are  many  other  expresses  not  mentioned  in 
this  brief  history,  but  they  are  of  comparatively  re- 
cent origin,  and  their  history  is  not  familiar  to  "  An 
Old  Expressman,"  who  has  aimed  at  giving  sketches 
only  of  the  old  institutions.  Hoping  his  somewhat 
desultory  reminiscence  may  interest  those  who  would 
know  something  of  a  comparatively  new  but  vastly 
progressive  business  interest,  the  writer  respectfully 
submits  "WAIFS  FROM  THE  WAY-BILLS  OF  AN  OLD 
EXPRESSMAN." 


APPENDIX. 


IN  order  to  give  some  adequate  idea  of  the  prog- 
ress and  present  magnitude  of  the  express  business 
in  Boston  alone/ we  give,  in  the  succeeding  pages,  an 
accurate  list  of  the  various  Expresses  running  out  of 
Boston,  with  their  offices  for  business,  and  names  of 
managers.  This  record  of  live  business  men,  who  fill 
an  indispensable  department  of  business  life,  may  be 
useful  for  reference,  if  not  very  entertaining  as  read- 
ing matter. 

GENERAL  EXPRESS   AGENCY,   Nos.   8   AND   10  COURT 
SQUARE. 

William  Gibbs,  Manager. 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Earle  &  Prew,  ....  Providence. 

Abbott, North  Andover. 

Bagley, Great  Falls. 

Benjamin  &  Vaughn, .     .  Maiden. 

Blackemore, West  Roxbury. 

Brewer  &  Co.,  .     .     .    '.  Charlestown. 

Collins  &  Chase,    .     .     .  Brook  I  inc. 

Cooper, Lawrence. 

133 


134  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Davis, Brighton. 

Emerson, Watertown. 

Fayerweather,  ....  Westboro'. 

Fowler, Plymouth. 

Goodwin  &  Co.,     .     .     .  Salmon  Falls,  N.  H. 

Harris, Newton  Upper  Falls. 

Johnson  &  Co., ....  Andover. 

Johnson, East  Cambridge. 

Kennerson, Hingham. 

Lang, Reading. 

Little, West  Amesbury. 

Mitchell, Bridgewater. 

Morse, Sudbury. 

New  York  and  Boston.  « 

Paulding, New  Bedford. 

Perkins, Exeter. 

Potter, Salem. 

Sargent  &  Co.,  ....  Lowell. 

Sawin, Cambridge. 

Smith, Roxbury. 

Tainter, Newton. 

Trafton  &  Co.,  ....  Portsmouth. 

Walker  &  Watson,     .     .  Jamaica  Plains. 

Wells, Amesbury. 

White, South  Boston. 

B.  F.  Stone, Chelsea. 

Hill  &  Co., Manchester,  N.  H. 

Atlas  Parcel  Express,     .  (Foreign.) 

Beal, Cohasset. 


OP   AN  OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  135 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Brown  &  Bradbury,   .     .  Aristook,  Me. 

Byam Canton. 

Buck  <fe  Co., Stoneham  and  Woburn. 

Coolidge  &  Holbrook,     .  East  Boston. 

Coverly, East  Somerville. 

J.  M.  Ellis  &  Co.,  .     .     .  Melrose. 

Fisher, Dedham. 

Gibbs  &  Co.,     ....  Waltham. 

Gove, Randolph. 

Hart  &  Co., Woburn. 

Jenkins, Lynn. 

Johnson, Nahant. 

Josslyn, North  Bridgewater. 

Lathrop, Auburndale. 

Linnell  &  Co.,   ....  Wakefield. 

Moody, Dorchester. 

Murray, New  Market,  N.  H. 

Noyes  &  Wilcomb,     .     .  Ipswich. 

Pierce  Bros.,     ....  Everett. 

Peters, Bolton. 

Putnam, Danvers. 

Sampson, E.  and  W.  Bridgewater. 

Shaw  &  Co., Newburyport. 

Swift, Middletown. 

Tilden&Co.,    ....  Milford. 

E.  Tilden, Marshfield. 

Webber, Concord,  Mass. 

Wheeler  &  Co.,      .     .     .  Marlboro'. 

Winn, Winchester. 


136  WAIFS  FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

GENERAL  EXPRESS  AGENCY,  No.  32  COURT  SQUARE. 
H.  L.  Jackson,  Manager. 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Brooks  &  Davis,    .     .     .  New  Ipswich,  N.  H. 

Coggswell  &  Co.,  .     .     .  Lawrence. 

Gillett  &  Co.,     ....  Newburyport. 

Jackson  &  Co.,  ....  Portsmouth. 

Marshall  &  Moulton,  .     .  Beverly. 

J.  M.  Marshall, ....  Essex. 

Page, Gloucester. 

Savory  &  Co.,   ....  Salem. 

Townsend, South  Danvers. 

Vinal, South  Boston. 

Canney  &  Co.,  ....  Dover,  N.  H. 

Decatur, Boston  Highlands. 

Hayes, Cambridge. 

Locke, Charlestown. 

Manson    ......  Amesbury. 

Parsons  &  Fears,  .     .     .  Rockport. 

Smith, Manchester,  Mass. 

GENERAL  EXPRESS  AGENCY,  No.  33  COURT  SQUARE. 
Thomas  Shepard,  Manager. 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Boston,  Lowell  &  Nashua,  &  Lowell  R.  R.  Express. 

Andrews, City. 

Jenness, Roxbury. 

Niles  &  Co., Dover,  N.  H. 


OP  AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  137 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Odlin  &  Co., Exeter,  N.  H. 

Russell  &  Co.,  ....     HaverhilL. 
S.  P.  Trott, City. 


GENERAL  EXPRESS  AGENCY,  34  AND  35  COURT  SQUARE. 
H.  A.  Cook,  Manager. 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Allen  &  Co., Easton. 

Blake, Newton  Centre. 

Brooks  &  Co.,   ....  Saxonville. 
Cape  Cod  Railroad  Express. 

Crowell, Manchester,  Mass. 

J.  H.  Eaton,      ....  Wakefield. 

Harwood, E.  and  W.  Bridgewater. 

Hobbs  <fe  Pratt,     ..     .     .  Chelsea. 

Kinsley  <fe  Co., ....  Fall  River,  <fec. 

Maglathin, Lynn. 

Osgood  <fe  Co.,  ....  Worcester. 

Pratt  &  Hartshorn,    .     .  Neponset. 

Stocker, East  Saugus. 

Weeks, Waltham. 

Williams  &  Co.,     .     .     .  Foxboro'. 

G.  H.  Barker,   ....  Letter  Express. 

Bowditch, Quincy. 

Burke, East  Somerville. 

Crummitt, Old  Colony  Railroad. 

Dart  &  Co., Marlboro'. 

Gilmore, Wrentham. 


138  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Hatch  &  Co.,     ....  New  Bedford. 

Jenison, W.  Newton  &  Aub'ndale. 

London, Somerville  and  E.  Camb. 

Paine  &  Cobb,  ....  North  Bridgewater. 

Parker, Medfield. 

Presson, Gloucester. 

Trowbridge,      ....  Longwood. 

Weston, Plymouth. 

Withington Dorchester. 


GENERAL  EXPRESS  AGENCY,  No.  36  COURT  SQUARE. 

C.  E.  Sewell,  Manager. 

/ 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Bradford,.     .....  Plymouth. 

Bridgham, Dorchester. 

Davis  &  Co.,      ....  Providence. 

Elliott, Dedham,  Mill  Vill. 

George  &  Co.,  ....  Hudson. 

Hurd,  . Newton. 

Magee, Revere. 

Breed  &  Co.,     ....  Lynn. 

Cheney,   .     .     .     .     .     .  Chelsea. 

Davis, .......  Salem. 

Driscoll, Brookline. 

Ellis, Canton. 

Harding, E.  and  W.  Stoughton. 

Henry,      ......  Milton. 

Peyser, Biddeford  and  Saco. 

Smith  &  Co.,     ....  Charlestnwn. 


OP   AN  OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  139 

GENERAL  EXPRESS  AGENCY,  No.  3  WASHINGTON  STREET. 
H.  Bobbins,  Agent.  —  A.  FuUer,  Clerk. 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Allen, Boston  Highlands. 

Adams  &  Mann,     .     .     .  Arlington. 

Barrett,   ......  Newtonville. 

Bicknell, North  Weymouth. 

Clapp, Everett. 

Coolidge  &  Holbrook,     .  East  Boston. 

Cummings, Reading. 

Davis, Brighton. 

Drew, .  East  Weymouth. 

Eaton,.     ...-»..  Needham. 

Garrity, Quincy. 

Johnson, Holliston. 

Mclntosh, Grantville. 

Paine, Marblehead. 

Parker, •  Lexington. 

Powers, South  Boston. 

Simon, Salem. 

Tracy, Dedham. 

Whittemore,     ....  East  Cambridge. 

Wright,  ^ Duxbury. 

Dodge, Wenhara. 

Taylor, Hingham. 

Sawin, Cambridge. 

Hurd, Newton. 

Buck  &  Co., Stoneham. 


140  WAIFS   FROM   THE   WAY-BILLS 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Bancroft, N.  Camb'ge  &  Som'ville. 

Bell, Danvers. 

Bourk, Weymouth. 

Coverly, East  Somerville. 

Gushing, South  Weymouth. 

Gushing, South  Hingham. 

Eastman, Melrose. 

Ford, Abington. 

Gardiner, West  Scituate. 

Hancock, North  Bridgewater. 

Linnell  &  Co.,   ....  Wakefield. 

Muuroe,  Arnold,  &  Co.,  .  Peabody. 

Parker  &  Co.,    ....  Cambridgeport. 

Penniman, South  Abington. 

Randall, N.  and  E.  Abington. 

Tainter, Medford. 

Waterman, West  Hanover. 

Woodsum, South  Braintree. 

White, Jamaica  Plains. 

Pratt  &  Babb,  ....  Lynn. 

Marshall  &  Moulton,  .     .  Beverly. 

Weeks  &  Co.,    ....  Waltham. 

Harwood, E.  and  W.  Bridgewater. 


OP  AN  OLD  EXPRESSMAN.  141 

GENERAL  EXPRESS  AGENCY,  AT  57  KILBY  STREET. 

R.  JR.  Smith,  Manager. 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

Abbott, Randolph. 

Allen, Roxbury. 

Barnes, North  Cohasset. 

Brown, Ballardvale. 

Buttrick, Melrose. 

Chase, Cambridgeport. 

Clark  &  Ruston,    .     .     .  Bedford  and  Lexington. 

White, Jamaica  Plains. 

Curtis, N.  and  S.  Braintree. 

Gage  &  Richardson,  .     .  Methuen. 

Griffin, Somerville. 

Hawkins,      .    .    .     .     .  Watertown. 

Hilton  &  Sons,  ....  Lynn. 

Howe  &  Co.,     ....  Natick. 

Jones, Newton  Upper  Falls. 

Lovett, Newburyport. 

Middleton, North  Easton. 

Moulton, North  Weymouth. 

Pickett, Georgetown. 

Rollins, West  Newbury. 

Taylor, Hingham. 

Whitney, Winchester. 

Whall, Milton. 

Alden, Bridgcwater. 

Ayer, Haverhill. 


142  WAIFS   FROM   THE  WAY-BILLS 

Proprietors.  Name  of  Express. 

W.  K.  Baker, Weymouth. 

Boynton, Ipswich. 

Bryant, East  Lexington. 

Carpenter, Sharon. 

H.  Cook, Salem. 

Currier,        Gloucester. 

Day  &  Robertson,      .     .     .  Medford. 

Grace  &  Co., East  Stoughton. 

Hatch  &  Co., Cambridge. 

Hawkins, Woburn. 

Hollis  &  Co.,    .....  Medway. 
Kennebec  and  Boston  Express. 

Messenger, Chelsea. 

Morse, South  Dedham. 

Pierce, .  Maiden. 

Richardson, Stoneham. 

Saunders, Lawrence. 

Traders, Providence. 

Wentworth, West  Roxbury. 

Swett, Portland. 


OP  AN   OLD   EXPRESSMAN.  143 

GENERAL  EXPRESS  AGENCY,  No.  9  MILK  STREET. 
J.  B.  Tew,  Agent. 

Proprietors.  Name  or  Express. 

Brigham, Cambric!  geport. 

Hatch  &  Co., Cambridge. 

Jones, Roxbury. 

Prince  &  Co., Portland. 

Lee, Quincy. 

Davenport  &  Mason,      .     .  Taunton. 

Hanscom, South  Boston. 

Hatch  <fe  Co., New  Bedford. 

Trask, Gloucester. 


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